The Dream of You
by Starway1123
Summary: It's been seventy-seven years since the passing of Makarov's guildmate. On the anniversary of his death, Natsu and the others are whisked away to Hogwarts with a mission to protect the students from a dark puppet master. Starts from the Philosopher's Stone ends at the Deathly Hallows.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys**

 **Before the story begins, I just want to say a few things.**

 **First, I'm basing it mainly on the movies, but I'm also mixing in elements of the books.**

 **Secondly, if there are any tiny changes like the chair is meant to be on the right, not the left please do not make a big fuss.**

 **Third, I had to change a few things to fit the Fairy Tail elements into the story, but they do not affect the Hogwarts universe in any way.**

 **With all of that said, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail**


	2. The Dream

Makarov slouched on his desk. He twirled what looked like to be a necklace with a the Fairy Tail emblem, but this one was different. The symbol had decorative red flames at the end of the tails, like an ascending phoenix. Makarov found it in the forest where his friend was last before he disappeared. He couldn't believe it had been seventy years. Seventy seven if he counted the years stuck on Tenrou Island. As he played with the necklace, a flood of memories invaded his mind. The missions, the friendships, the quarrels and fights. He smiled softly, realising that they were like Gray and Natsu back in the day. But one day, his dear friend's family went missing, and he sought to find them. In the end, he vanished, leaving Makarov, and Fairy Tail behind. He was declared dead, leaving Makarov and his team in shambles. The death hit them so hard, that Goldmine, Bob, and Rob decided to leave Fairy Tail, and Porlyusica stopped taking jobs and separated herself from the others, whilst Yajima did not want to hear his deceased guild mate's name ever again to avoid the pain. It was hard on everyone. " _Why did you leave us you idiot? You could've at least taken us with you…."_ Makarov thought, closing his eyes deciding to rest for a bit.

"..."

"..."

". . . _Makarov_. . . _Nuntius . . ._ _Auxilium_ . . . . ."

Makarov snapped his eyes open, and looked around. He was surrounded by a black void, and couldn't see anything. ". . . _Capitulo . ._ . _Mortem_. . . _Auxilium . . . Fiducia . ._ . _Lanuae Alica_ . _. Stella . . Orbis . . Magicae . ."_ Images flashed before Makarov's eyes. A young man with brown hair smiling, a burst of darkness and death exploding from his body, a hooded revealing a living skull under the shadow, the Fairy Tail symbol aflame. "W-What is this….?!" Makarov stuttered in a fearful matter. All these memories, all these images, being forced into his head. He held his head like he was preventing it from exploding. " _Et stellis et deducet te . . . . Ut post hunc mundum sit tibi . . . . Ut post hunc mundum sit tibi . . . . Launae . . . "_

Makarov woke up in a yell, panting, shaking, and sweating. He looked at the necklace he had in his hand. His eyes began to grow misty, and he grasped the necklace with all his might and held it to his chest. "I knew it. You are alive, aren't you…..Percivil….."

Albus stayed up late in his office. He didn't know what to do. The year had just started, but he couldn't shake the feeling, that something was wrong. He knew it. He knew that _he_ would try steal it from Dumbledore under his nose. He tilted his head towards his phoenix, sleeping on its perch. Hogwarts was filled with powerful witches and wizards, but he knew they were not ready to fight. Suddenly, he had a flashback of his father telling him something, before he left for Azkaban.

" _Albus, listen to me. If you ever need help, just use this spell to contact a man named Makarov Dreyer. He is a good friend of mine, and he will help you when you call him. Remember it!"_ Albus didn't know about this. Should he trust this man, or should he wait? Albus closed his eyes and sighed.

Albus rummaged through his old draws trying to find the piece of paper his father gave him before he left him. "Where is it, where is it? Ah, here it is." Albus grabbed his wand, and etched a circle into the floor, copying the patterns he saw on the paper onto the floor. He sat cross-legged in what looks like an alchemist circle. He channeled his mind, his body, his soul, until everything in his room lifted in levitation. A bright white light consumed the circle. " _There's a connection. I can feel it."_ Albus thought. He place the name Makarov in his thoughts hoping that this message will get through, to his father's friend.

" _Makarov, my name is Albus Dumbledore, son of Percivil. If you can hear this message I need help. A threat from death itself has emerged from the shadows, and I need your help. You are the only one I feel can trust, my father said you could help me. Here is a transportation spell that can help you guide through the stars into my world, through the use of magic. May the Stars guide you to the Brand New World, and let the Magic Lead you through to a Brand New Dawn."_ Before Albus could say anything more the connection weakened and floating books and objects just fell to the ground after the connection was lost.

Albus sighed as the circle shimmered away into fragments of light. 'I hope he got the message…...'

The guild was empty today. Ever since Fairy Tail won the Grand Magic Games, requests had been flooding in all over the country. Levy sat alone muttering to herself, looking back and forth from a piece of paper to a book. "Levy, what are you doing here?" A voice came from behind her. Levy turned around, and saw Team Natsu with Gajeel and Pantherlily. "Oh hey guys! Just doing something for Master Makarov. What are you guys doing here?" Levy asked. "We just finished a job. That's all. What did Master Makarov ask you to do?" Erza countered. "Oh, Master Makarov asked me to translate these words." Levy informed them as she turned back to her work. "What have you got so far?" Lucy asked, sitting down next to her, looking over her shoulder. "At the moment, I'm trying to see which languages match up with this. But at the moment, nothing else matches up with the words…" This confused Lucy, and read the words on the paper. "Hmmm, this is indeed peculiar. I wonder what language this is…" Gajeel groaned and began to complain, as per usual. "Don't you have something better to do shrimp?" Levy gave him a sharp look, which made Gajeel flinch a bit, as he knew what that look meant. "For your information, Master Makarov put me up to this task, so I will not rest until I find the translation." Levy said, in a stubborn matter. "Gajeel, you shouldn't push Levy too hard like that." Pantherlily said strictly. "Tsk! Fine. I'm going to get some iron." Gajeel walked to the bar and lept over to find his secret stash of iron. "Don't let him get to you Levy. Keep going, as it is Master Makarov's request." Erza supported, taking a seat behind Levy. "Hey, want me to give it a crack?" Natsu asked enthusiastically, sliding from behind Lucy. "You'd better not. Unless you want to burn the parchment. And besides, you're not the sharpest tool in the shed Natsu. I doubt you'll ever crack the code." Happy pointed out. "And besides, remember the last time Natsu tried to translate something?" Gray reminded everyone. Everyone sighed at the memory. Gajeel just looked on, wondering what they were talking about.

"Oh hey guys! Welcome back!" The door behind the bar opened, revealing a smiling silver haired girl carrying a tray of glasses. "Hey Mira!" Lucy called back. "Hey guys!" Another voice small and frail greeted the team, following Mira, carrying plates. "Gajeel, what did I say? No iron behind the counter!" Mira scolded him, setting down the tray. "But this is the only spot I can hold my iron! Besides, I don't want anyone else finding it." Gajeel grumbled. "Well, you're the only one here who eats iron. So I doubt anyone's going to touch your stash Gajeel." A white cat observed, carrying forks and spoons from the kitchen. Gajeel grumbled at Charla's point, and leapt over the bar and slammed his rear down on a bar stool.

"Well if it isn't Team Natsu! And Gajeel and Pantherlily! How were your missions?" Makarov asked, standing on the railing of the second floor. "Hey gramps! It went great! Got a ton of Jewel!" Natsu smiled, putting his thumb up. "Yep! Now I won't have to worry about rent for the next six months!" Lucy winked, her thumb up as well. Makarov chuckled and leapt from the second floor. "So how goes it Levy?" Makarov asked, walking next to Levy. "Hmmm, I'm not sure. I can't find any language that matches these words…." Makarov nodded and turned to leave. "Levy, you've been at it for hours. Why not take a break?" Mira suggested, drying the plates and glasses. Levy shook her head as she read. "No way, not now. This is a new language to study, so I'm going to try decipher it." Levy said with confidence as she turned a page. "Well, I'll leave you to it then. Just remember not to push yourself." Levy silently nodded and turned a page.

"Master, wait." Makarov stopped and turned around to face Erza. "Yes Erza, what is it?" 'That necklace. I've never seen it before. Where did you get it?" Erza pointed to Makarov's necklace, which was the same fire red necklace Makarov was staring at earlier. "Oh, this old thing?" Makarov looked down and held the emblem with his forefinger and thumb. "This used to belong to an old friend of mine. One day, he disappeared. This is the only thing he left behind…." "...What happened?" Natsu asked, arms folded. Makarov stood still for a moment, before shaking his head with sorrow. "It's something I particularly don't want to talk about. Don't worry. I will tell you children in time." Makarov smiled. "Do you mind if I take a look?" Levy asked, holding out her hand. "But of course. But be careful with it." Makarov smiled, taking off the pendant and giving it to Levy. "Let me see too." Erza slid over and stroked the smooth metal as Levy held it up. "I wanna see!" Wendy exited the bar and joined the group, her fingers holding the pendant. "Me too!" Mira sang, as she walked over, grasping a little piece of the pendant. "Fascinating design…." Erza gasped. "Well, he did love mythical creatures. The Phoenix was his favorite mythical creature. No matter how many times it suffered, burnt alive, it would always rise from the ashes. Just like our guild. Not to mention our guild crest looks like a Phoenix, don't you think?" Makarov chuckled. The girls chuckled, never thinking of it like that before.

As everyone crowded around the necklace, Natsu slipped under Levy's face and snatched the paper from the table. "Hey Natsu! Don't touch that!" Levy jumped from her seat, putting the necklace down on the table, Erza and Levy's fingers still intertwined with the chain, and Wendy and Mira still holding the pendant. "C'mon, let me have a crack at it!" Natsu whinged, then turned his head back to the parchment. 'Natsu, put that down at once!' Makarov ordered him. But Natsu, as usual, did not heed to the warnings. "Et stellis et deducet te ut post hunc mundum sit tibi ut post hunc mundum sit tibi... Launae?" Natsu read outloud.

Everyone froze, and held their breath. Nothing. Lucy exhaled and opened her mouth to tell Natsu off, but for some reason, she couldn't move. "H-Hey, I can't move!" Lucy tried to move her arm, but for some reason, it was stiff and trembling. "I can't move either!" Erza exclaimed, a worrying expression on her face trying to stand up. "Natsu, you idiot! We told you not to read it!" Gray yelled at Natsu. 'Salamander, when I move again, you're gonna get it!" Gajeel snapped at Natsu. "Shut it metal breath, how the hell was I supposed to know this would happen?!"

Lucy could feel the irritation swell inside her. She opened her mouth to tell him off again, but then she felt her legs being pulled by an unknown force, then lost consciousness due to a pure white light. And then nothing.

For a long time.


	3. The Forest of Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Harry Potter**

 **Enjoy!**

"...Ow…" Lucy sat up and rubbed her aching head. "Huh?" Lucy noticed something wet and prickly pressing hard against her hand. She opened her eyes, and saw her hand was in contact with the cold ground. A cold wind nipped at her neck and ear, causing her to shiver violently clasping her arms in an attempt to keep warm. She looked around. It was dark, and heavy fog surrounded her vision. Tall trees blocked her view of the cloudy sky above. "W-Where am I?" Lucy looked around a bit, before noticing something felt….different about her body. " _Is it just me, or does my chest feel….lighter?"_ Lucy slowly looked down at her body, and screamed of shock. "KYAAAA! WHY IS MY CHEST SMALLER?! IS THIS SOME PRACTICAL JOKE?! Hold on, my hair's shorter too?!" Lucy stood up, her clothes sliding off her body. Lucy furiously grabbed them, trying to keep them on.

"Aw damn it!" Lucy whipped out a golden key and pointed it in front of her. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" A shining glow came from the end of her key. When the glow faded, a pink haired maid stood in front of her, bowing. "You summoned prince-" Vigo lifted her head, and saw a little blond girl standing there with her key, a bit red from embarrassment from what was happening. "Princess, is that you?" Virgo asked, a bit surprised. "Yeah." Lucy replied, averting Virgo's gaze. "What happened princess?" Virgo asked, intrigued. "I don't know. I was in the guild, next thing I know, I'm here and in this state." Virgo bowed towards her master after she finished her explanation. "I shall deliver you clothes full haste." Virgo disappeared into the ground leaving a human sized hole. One second later, Virgo returned with clothes folded in hand. "Here we are princess." Lucy grabbed the clothes and hid behind the rock to get changed. When she emerged, she was dressed in a silk dress, decorated with stars and frilly sleeves. The chest area was laced, and a white fabric tucked behind the lace. Lucy's hair was done neatly in a high ponytail, her side fringe hanging down her face. Ears holding dangling earrings of silver stars. "You look splendid princess. Well then, I shall take my leave." Virgo took her bow, and left through the ground leaving a hole. "Well, at least I can still use magic." Lucy sighed, and looked around. "But the thing is, did my magic decrease due to the situation...Argh, I need to get out of this creepy forest!" Lucy scowled stomping into the fog.

"Natsu….Natsu!" Natsu slowly opened his eyes. A soft rub from his back was rocking him back to reality. Natsu pushed himself up, holding his head. "Gray….Gajeel…." Natsu looked at his head, looking at his two guild mates. "Hey, hold up! Why do you guys look so young?!" Natsu jolted up and pointed at them both, eyes popping out of his skull. "That's what we'd like to know." Gray shrugged and turned around hands behind his head. "That being said…" Gajeel cracked his his knuckles. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO US YOU DAMN IDIOT?!" Both of them punched Natsu in the face, probably knocking a tooth or two out. "Hey don't blame me! I didn't know what was going to happen!" Natsu yelled at them back, holding his swollen cheek. "We told you not to read that you idiot!" Gray snapped, clenching his fists. "I just wanted to help!" Natsu whined, flinging his face forward to Gray. "Well, next time don't Salamander!" Gajeel yelled back. "You bastard, are you saying I'm useless?!" Natsu asked Gajeel, raising an annoying eyebrow at him. "No, I'm saying STOP READING RANDOM SPELLS!' Natsu gritted his teeth, believing it confirmed his claim that Natsu was useless. "SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT!" "YOU WANNA FIGHT?!" Gajeel and Natsu banged their heads, growling at each other. "Alright you two, break it up." Gray sighed pushing their faces apart. "Anyway, we'd better get going. We need to find the others, thanks to Mr Flamebrain over here." Natsu turned a sharp look at Gray. "What did you say Ice Princess?!" Gray ignored Natsu's insult, but a visible vein was pulsing. "Anyway, let's go. This forest is giving me the creeps." Gray turned to the left and began to walk, Natsu and Gajeel following him into the cold night. Then they all tripped due to how big their clothes were. "Damn it…" Gajeel said, his voice muffled by the dirt.

"Lucy! Natsu!

"Gray! Gajeel!"

"Master! Happy!

"Lily! Charla!"

"..."

"Where could they be….?" Levy looked around the dark forest, extremely worried about her comrades. "I don't know. It seems we all got separated. Gah! Whenever I see Natsu, he's going to get the scolding of his life from me!" Erza's eye glowing a red spark, drawing a sword by her side. Levy just sweatdropped and slowly slid a distance away from Erza. "I'm worried though. One moment we're in the guild, the next, we're in this horrible place." Wendy shivered. "Well, then I think it's safe to say that the words were the words to a spell." Mira hummed. "I don't like it here...And where's Charla and the others?!" Wendy exclaimed in a panic.

"Erza! Levy!" The girls turned around, them smiled seeing who it was. "Charla!" "Lily!" "Ha-" The girls then were struck with shock, white complexions and lightning striking behind them from the amount of shock given. "We're so glad you're alright!" Happy chipped, running up to them. "Um, Happy, Lily, Charla, why are you so tiny. Tinier than usual?" Erza pointed at them. "Huh? What are you talking about Er….za….?" Happy trailed off, as his eyes skimmed down his body. "...GAAAAAAAAH! WHY AM I BABY AGAIN?! LILY! CHARLA! WHY ARE WE SO SMALL?!" Happy flung his arms and legs around the place, panicking about the degrowth. "We've been trying to tell you that for the past ten minutes!" Lily said stubbornly, his arms folded. "Aww, you guys look so cute!" Wendy praised, hands clapped together.

"I believe this could be due to the spell earlier." Lily suspected, examining his new body. "Well at the moment, it's the only hypothesis we have. And will you knock it off?!" Charla yelled at Happy. He suddenly skidded to a halt and looked at the girls. "Wait, hold on. Why are you guys the same age?" Happy pointed at the others with his little baby arms. "Hmm, that I don't know." Erza hummed sternly. "Hold on, what do you think could have happened to the others? Do you think they could have been reverted to a younger state?" Levy pondered, her fingers supporting her petite chin. "It's definitely a possibility. For now, we should get moving and find the others." Erza sternly decided, walking away. "Aye sir!" Happy agreed, following Erza's footsteps.

"Oh and Lily, Happy, Charla, I think it's wise for now if you three acted like normal cats." "Why?" Happy asked curiously tilting his innocent head. "Because we're in an unknown location and don't know if we're still in Fiore. Therefore I think it's best to stay silent for now. And same with flying." Erza explained strictly, eyes darting left and right watching her surroundings. "Alright…." Happy sighed. "Lily? Charla?" Lily nodded, fully understanding the situation. "I agree with you on that Erza." Lily said gruffly. "Yes, I agree as well. Who knows where we are at the moment. Better safe than sorry." Charla said, keeping that dignified look. "Good." Erza smiled. "Now be on your guard. We don't know what's here." She said sternly eyes darting left and right. "Yes ma'am." Happy chirpped. Erza gave him a sharp look. Her 'What-did-I-just-say' look to be exact. "I-I mean…..meow?" Happy corrected.

 _CRUNCH!_

Everyone sharply turned their heads behind them. A huge, bulky shadow moved slowly towards them, breathing heavily in the crisp white fog. Erza, Wendy, Mira and Levy took a fighting stance, as the shadow came closer. All Lily, Charla and Happy could do was watch with great worry. "Who's there?!" Erza yelled at the shadow. The crunch under the footsteps stopped, but the heavy breathing continued. Everyone gasped at the figure, as they saw his form in the dim moonlight.

"Argh! I feel like I've been walking for hours in this creepy place….I know!" Lucy whipped out a silver key, and began her chant. "Open gate of the-" _CRACK!_ Lucy jumped at the sound, giving a deep gasp of fright. She looked around the thick cold fog. There were sounds of chirps and sharp winds. Lucy slowly put away the key, worried that the glow of her key would attract attention of those near her. There was suddenly a wolf howl which made Lucy turn sharply all around. She panted even sharper, her vision shaking with her sharp moving head. As she looked around, she saw a big black shadow from the fog. Lucy stopped her breath, as she watched the shadow become bigger with every crunch of leaves and twigs. Lucy could hear heavy breathing from the massive creature. She reached for her keys, but then she felt a block coming from her enchanted items. " _What?! I can't use my keys anymore?!"_ Lucy looked back up at the figure. He came closer and closer, Lucy quivering at this creature. She staggered back a bit, then ran for her life.

She ran as fast as she could, looking back making sure that the dark shadow wasn't following her. She ran and ran and ran as fast as her child legs could carry her. She continued to run, until she bumped into something. "AHH!" She cried, landing hard on her backside. "Owww…..Huh? Natsu! Gray! Gajeel!" Lucy cried, happy to see her friends. "Oww…" Natsu rubbed his sore head. "Huh, Lucy!" Natsu said surprised. "Boy am I glad to see you guys here!" Lucy exclaimed happily. "Hey hold on….You guys are kids too?!" Lucy pointed at the three, a little happy that she wasn't the only one. "Yeah, seems that way." Gray sighed with annoyance. "Well since we're all kids, I think it's safe to say that it could be a side effect of the spell." Lucy thought out loud, pondering to herself. She then gave a boys a smile and slowly walked over to Natsu. "Natsu…..WHAT DID YOU DO TO US?!" Lucy yelled as she punched him on the cheek. "SHUT UP! I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" Natsu yelled back, again holding his injured cheek. Lucy grabbed him by the collar and shook him hard. "WELL YOU _SHOULD_ HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES YOU IDIOT!" Lucy said shaking him even harder. _SNAP!_ Lucy turned her head sharply behind her, the others jolting their heads up at Lucy's direction. The dark figure emerged in a shadowy blob, Lucy trembled in the monster's presence. She slowly stepped back until she was behind the boys. "Guys, we have to run!" Lucy pleaded, pulling their arms back. "Huh? Why? We can take him!" The boys smirked with Natsu at this statement. "Let's go!" Natsu commanded. "Yeah!" The boys ran forward and disappeared in the fog. "Oh no! Gray! Natsu! Gajeel!" Lucy cried, worried the monster got the best of them. It was silent for a while. Lucy was worried for her friends. She slowly stepped forward, the leaves and twigs softly crunching under her feet. She came closer and closer, until the fog came in hand reach. As she reached into the fog, a flying object came into her face. "KYA!" Lucy screamed as she tumbled back due to the force of the impact.

As she laid on the ground, she could feel something pressing against her lips. She slowly opened her eyes, and to a complete shock, saw Natsu's widened eye close to hers. 'Mph?!' Lucy violently pushed him off and both of them rolled over, throwing up onto the ground. "KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH TO YOURSELF YOU STUPID MORON!" Lucy yelled furiously to her companion, blushing extremely heavily. "SHUT UP!" Natsu exclaimed back, that equal heavy blush on his face. Next Gajeel came flying out of the fog, beaten up badly. "Gajeel!" Lucy and Natsu ran to his side at once, kneeling next to him. "Gajeel…" A female voice came out of the fog, sounding extremely annoyed. "Wait, that voice…" Lucy mumbled. As the fog cleared, Levy stood there annoyed. Not only that, but she stood there with a glowing red bump on the top of her head. " _Oh no."_ Lucy thought. "HITTING ME ON THE HEAD OUT OF NOWHERE IS NOT OK!" Levy yelled furiously, growing bigger by the second. " _When will Gajeel learn."_ Pantherlily sighed, examining the injured Gajeel. "Oh, Lucy!" Levy regained her normal composure once she saw Lucy. "Hang on, you're a kid too?!" Levy pointed to Lucy who was now smaller than Levy. "So it's not just the exceeds." Levy said in a state of surprise. "Hold on, Lily, Charla and Happy too?!" Lucy yelled out. "Aye!" Happy emerged behind Levy, a cute little creature he was. 'Happy!' Natsu smiled, and opened up his arms, grateful that his friend was safe. "Natsu!" Happy leapt from behind Levy's back and into Natsu's arms, snuggling up to him. Erza was the next to emerge, her eyes closed, keeping her same strict composure. "Well then. Now that punishing Natsu is out of my system." Erza opened her eyes and saw Lucy and Gajeel in the same state as Happy, Charla, Lily and Natsu. "So I guess it wasn't just the exceeds." Erza muttered under her breath. "Hold on, why aren't YOU guys kids too?!" Natsu pointed at the two girls, angry that they were prevented from being kids. "That I'm not sure of." Erza pondered, her chin resting on her fingers. "Hmmm." Levy folded her arms and closed her eyes , thinking. "Hold on, where's Gray?" Lucy looked around, wondering where Gray was.

"Put me down you big oaf!" A childish yell came from behind the trees. "Woah now, stop squirming lil' guy!" A deeper, rougher voice calmly told him. A big man with long curly hair and a thick beard came out of the shadows, carrying Gray by the wrist. "And it's really chilly tonight, why are you only wearing your underwear?" The man asked curiously. "SHUT UP YOU OLD GEEZER!" Gray countered furiously trying to squirm his way out of the man's grasp. "Old geezer?" The man repeated replied, sounding a bit hurt. "LET ME GO ALREADY!" Gray squirmed, trying to kick him, but to no avail as the man's big, long arms kept him at a safe distance from Gray. "Alright, but don't attack me or run away from me, alright?" The man sternly told him. He slowly put Gray on the ground, bending over due to his big body. After Gray was placed on the ground, he dusted himself, and was suddenly pushed back from his big bulky clothes being thrown at him by Erza. "Put some clothes on Gray." Gray sat up pouting, pushing the clothes out of his face. "But these clothes don't fit me anymore!" Gray complained. "Put. Them. On!" Erza gritted and scowled at him. "Y-Yes Ma'am!" Gray shrieked, hastily putting his clothes on.

"Well, isn't she a charmer." The man said sarcastically turning his head to Lucy, who was sighing at the events. "And by the way, how can you run in a dress like tha'? Tha' was really fast for someone wearing that." The man asked Lucy, looking down on her head. Lucy snapped to the man with surprised eyes. "Hold on, you were the one following me?" Lucy pointed to the giant man, eyes widened. "Oh yeah. I ran into an old man near my house. He told me that uh, his children weren't with him. So I told him I'd go find you all. Your father seems very worried about you all." Hagrid told Lucy. This caught everyone's attention. "Hold on, you found our Master?" Erza asked the man. "Master? I though' he was your father by the way he talked." Erza looked the rest of her team. "That definitely sounds like Master." Erza said sternly to her team. She swiftly turned back to the man, the moonlight catching her scarlet red hair. She bowed graciously to the man. "Thank you for all your finding all of us, uh, Hagrid?" Erza asked, making sure she got his name right. Hagrid smiled at her, and put his hand up as an 'It's-alright' sign. "It's no problem Miss Scarlett, Miss McGarden." Erza smiled and stood up straight. "There you guys are!" Wendy and Mira ran out of the fog, and up to her companions. "So sorry Mister Hagrid, I was distracted!" Wendy cried. "It's alright Wendy. At least you had Miss Strauss with you." Hagrid comforted, pointing at Mira, who just smiled. "Anyway, best we get goin'. There are lots of dangerous creatures in the forest. We don't want to get hurt, now do we." Hagrid turned around and signaled them to follow him.

"Hey Erza, you sure we can trust this guy? I mean we only just met him." Lucy whispered to her as they were following Hagrid. "Yeah, I don't know if we can trust him." Natsu whispered to Erza on the other side. "We don't need to worry. Levy, Mira, Wendy and I were traveling with him for a while before we found you. He's a nice man. It will be fine." Erza smiled, then walked faster keeping up with Hagrid. "Alright, if you say so…" Natsu muttered.

Soon, the group were at the edge of the forest. Lucy reached down and touched her keys. " _They're no longer blocked."_ Lucy sighed happily, relieved that everything was alright now. " _Maybe it had something to do with that forest…"_ Lucy looked back at the dark forest. She stared at the dark environment for a while. Soft whispers crept into her ear, as if trying to pull her back in. "Oi Lucy!" A call from Natsu made her snap out of her trance and turn around. "Look at this place!" He yelled at her. Lucy stepped out of the forest into an open green hill. Her gaze kept on going up, and up, and up. Until her eyes bulged at what was in front of her. "WOAH!" Lucy gasped.

A beautiful ancient like castle stood proud and tall on the hill. Specks of orange lit up the magnificent structure, and windows lit up every tower and corridor. "Hagrid, is THIS your house?!" Gray pointed to the huge monument, eyes widened at the building. "Tha'? No, that's not my house." Hagrid pointed to the left, everyone followed his finger. At the end was a tiny hut, lights dimly lit inside. "T-that's your house?" Levy asked again, pointing at the hut. "Yep." Hagrid stomped toward the hut, everyone else staying put looking at the castle. "Then who lives in that castle?" Wendy asked curiously. "In there? Uhhh…." Hagrid had to think a bit before answering. After all, he didn't know who they were. They could be muggles that somehow wandered into the Enchanted Forest. He rattled his brain for an excuse, trying to think of a what to tell them before he could make the judgement of telling them what the castle really was. "It's the home of some nobles. That's all." Hagrid plainly said. Well he wasn't wrong, since the castle was filled with hire-ups and important people living there. "Oh, and can I ask you not to go in there?" Hagrid asked them all. "Why? Mira asked. "You could get arrested on the spo' if you do." Hagrid explained as he unlocked his door. "Come on in. I'll fix you some tea." Hagrid opened the door wide open, inviting them into his home. "Tea? That sounds lovely." Charla smiled, walking to the hut.

An old man sat on a stool close to the table silently drinking a cup of tea. His head turned sharply to the door as it opened. Hagrid looked at him, nodding his head. "How you holdin' up?" Hagrid asked, walking to the kettle over the fire. "I'm alright. Did you find my brats?" The old man asked, an extremely worried look on his face. As soon as he finished his sentence, a red haired woman ran into the room and hugged him tightly. "MASTER!" She cried happily, hugging him even tighter. "E-Erza! You're alright!" Makarov gasped, trying to breathed. "Master!" Wendy exclaimed happily, running up to him. "Gramps, you're alright!" Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray ran up to him after Erza set Makarov down, extremely happy to see that he was alright. "Of course he's alright. He's the Master after all." Lucy was the next to enter the house, smiling at the master. "You should have contacted us somehow to let us know you were safe Master!" Mira scolded. Makarov stood there for a good while. He stared at four of his brats, to which he realized….were kids. His jaw dropped to the ground, eyes white from shock. "WHY ARE FOUR OF YOU KIDS?!" Makarov shouted in surprise. "We don't know!" The four of them said crying, quite fed up with all this magical nonsense. "Wait, you guys are kids?! I didn't even know!" Wendy blurted out gasping. "How could you not know? We're the same height and age now. I think there would be some kind of feature changes!" Gajeel growled. "I'm sorry for not noticing!" Wendy bowed apologetically.

"Wait a minute…" Hagrid glided his finger across the five pre-teens. "You're not kids?" He asked greatly concerned. "No, they're actually about seventeen, but for some reason transformed into children. Except Wendy. She's the normal age." Makarov explained, scanning their new bodies. 'Yeah, and for some reason, Erza, Mira, and Levy aren't kids!' Happy complained to the master, snuggling his head out of Natsu's arms. Levy, Wendy, Charla, Lily, and Erza swiftly turned their heads towards Happy, slicing their hands across their throats signaling to silence him. Happy immediately realised what he did and covered his mouth with his paws. "D-Did your cat just talk?" Hagrid pointed to the blue cat, eyes widened by surprise. "Happy? Of course-" "He can't talk, he's as cat! You must've imagined it Mr Hagrid!" Erza finished, covering Natsu's mouth with her hand. Natsu slapped Erza's hand away, quite confused and passive aggressive at her actions. "What are you talking about Erza! You know Happy-" "Cannot talk! Because he is a normal cat! That fell in a tub of blue dye!" Erza smiled, interrupting Natsu again, but gritted her teeth to tell Natsu that they were trying to keep Happy, Charla and Lily a secret from being Exceeds. "Why are you acting all weird all of a sudden?" Natsu muttered, sweat dropping. Hagrid stood at his guests for a while, then jolted the thought out of his head as he turned to the fire, watching the water boil. "Anyway, I know a few people who can help you. About your child problem. I'll take you to them in the morning." Hagrid said comfortably poking the fire with a rod. "Really?! Thank you Hagrid!" Lucy said gleefully clapping her hands together.

"Hey Levy, what's that hanging from your pocket?" Levy looked at her pocket that Natsu pointed at. She stared at a hanging chain flopping out of her pocket. She pulled it out, and pulled out the beautiful Fairy Tail Phoenix pendant. "The necklace!" Erza exclaimed in surprise. Levy stared at it for a while, captivated by its dazzling beauty. Levy suddenly snapped out of her trance, and turned to her master. "Here Master Makarov." Levy smiled, handing the necklace back to Makarov. "Thank you Levy." Makarov smiled, placing the necklace around his neck.

Hagrid stood dead in his tracks, carrying the cups in his hands. "Makarov?" Hagrid whispered to himself. "Are you Makarov Dreyar?" Hagrid asked very stern, pointing his fat finger at him. "Yes, that is me." Makarov nodded. Hagrid placed the cups down immediately and hustled towards the door. "Come with me." Hagrid said in a strict matter. "What?" Gray tilted his head at the sudden change in this man.

"Come with me now!"


	4. A New Life

"Hagrid, I thought you said we couldn't enter the castle." Wendy said confused standing outside a small door next that lead inside the castle, Hagrid's fingers fumbling a little with the door handle. "Yeah, well about that….uhh… The truth is, this isn't a home. I mean, it kinda is, but it's not." The door finally opened as Hagrid pushed the door open with his shoulder. "There we go." Hagrid hobbled inside, everyone slowly following him. "Then what is this place…?" Levy asked with extreme caution. "This is actually a boarding school. For magic and wizardry." Hagrid said, a little rushed. "What?!" Everyone exclaimed, as they stopped in their tracks. Hagrid turned around and asked them to keep moving. However, the fairies wanted answers. "Hagrid, tell us where we are right now!" Erza exclaimed strictly. "You're at a school for magic known as-" "We already know that! I mean what country are we in! Geographically speaking!" Hagrid sighed and looked to the side of the corridor before replying. "I'm sorry, but I can't help yer there. I never learned this kind of stuff. Ask Professor Dumbledore when you see him." Makarov's eyes widened at that name. "He's here…?" He whispered in a fierce tone. He then stepped forward, and proceeded to walk. "Master?" Wendy asked noticing her master's actions. "Let's go meet him. I need to see him again." Makarov said, continuing to walk forward.

Everyone gasped at the gigantic space the hall had. It was next to a dimly lit courtyard, a beautiful fountain hidden in the middle of the garden of roses and bellflowers. Silent drips of water trickling away in the dark starry night. Hagrid stopped in the middle of the hallway and knocked rapidly on a door. An old woman wearing a witch hat and green dress opened the door her face peeking out. "Professor McGonagall, good evening." Hagrid greeted her, with a hearty voice. "Hagrid? What brings you here late at night." The old woman asked, putting on her glasses. She saw the people behind him, and stepped back a little. "Hagrid, who are these people?" Professor McGonagall asked him, deeply concerned. "Professor, these are the people the we've been expecting." Hagrid whispered to her. McGonagall's eyes widened open in disbelief. "I see. I will gather the other heads immediately. We'll meet you in Dumbledore's office." The old lady shut the door after a flick of her dress.

Hagrid continued to lead the others down the hallways, until they all reached a dead end with a statue of a majestic bird on a hexagon podium it's wings spread out confidently. "Right, here we are." Hagrid rubbed his hands together and stepped up the podium. Everyone stared at the statue for a bit, before proceeding forwards to the statue. They stood in front of the statue wondering what's going on. "Lemon Sherbert." Hagrid said out loud. "Lemon sherbert?! Where?!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly shaking his head left and right, realizing he hadn't had a bite of anything since the end of the last mission. The statue began to rumble and turn around and ascend into the heavens, turning Natsu and Gajeel blue. "Oh no, transportation….!" Natsu and Gajeel began to jelly down onto the stairs, sick to their stomachs. "Natsu! Gajeel! No!" Wendy cried to the weakness. "Oh boy….." Lucy sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.

The stairs suddenly reached the top, shifting into a stop. "Finally….." Natsu gagged, hoisting himself up using the door knob. "Natsu don't-" Gray yelled suddenly leaping forward. "WOAH!" Natsu's hand suddenly slipped turning the knob and stumbled through the door. He hopped forward trying to regain his balance. Unfortunately he tripped up and face planted into a glass cabinet and spilled liquids everywhere. "Ow….." As Natsu stood up, Natsu started to skid all over the floor, his arms flailing trying balance himself, knocking over statues, bookcases and decorations in the process. "Woah woah woah woah woah!" Natsu flailed everywhere, and finally landed face first and slid out of the puddle due to the trip. Natsu looked slightly from the floor and saw a pair of black shiny shoes facing towards his face. Natsu slowly lead his eyes upwards, until he saw a greasy black haired man staring down at him. He gave Natsu a cold emotionless stare, and Natsu was frozen on the spot, too afraid to move. Natsu then turned his eyes left. He saw the lady from earlier looking at him, not amused by his actions. Natsu then glided his eyes right, and saw a stumpy old man wearing glasses and a grey fuzzy beard standing next to a chubby lady covered in soil and dirt, both of their eyes widened in great horror.

Everyone at the door stared at Natsu, mouths opened by shock and blue lines dropped over their blackened eyes. "...You do realise you've just destroyed extremely rare potions that took over a millennium to make, not to mention priceless artifacts that are important to this school's history?" The black haired man said gritting his teeth, in a very monotoned voice, not breaking his eye contact at Natsu. Makarov let out a yell of despair, knowing he had to probably pay for all those potions and artifacts. "T-Terribly sorry! We promise we won't cause anymore damage!" Makarov ran up to the man and bowed pushing Natsu's head to the ground forcing him to bow to the man as well. But he forgot that due to Natsu's condition, he was physically weaker than his adult counterpart. "OW!" Natsu's head cracked the stone beneath them, due to Makarov's forced bow. "YOU'RE THE ONE CAUSING DAMAGE!" Everyone at the door yelled at the old man.

A friendly chuckle came from the top of the stairs. "Do not worry Professor Snape. After all, it's a simple problem to fix." A glow came from the glass and liquids on the floor, and began to fix themselves back up again. Soon, they were all set neatly back in the fixed cabinet. The cracks on the floor began to shimmer away and was fixed in no time. Everything reversed until everything stood the way it was originally. "WOAH AMAZING!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly watching the events unfold before him. The same chuckle came from above them. "I'm glad you think so young man." Everyone looked up at the balcony and saw an old man appear on the balcony. "I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of this fine establishment."

Natsu noticed at the corner of his eye Makarov trembling. He looked at Makarov, his child like eyes widening in curiosity and worry. "Gramps?" Natsu asked tilting his head. "Percival…." Makarov spluttered out. "Percival?" Natsu repeated louder than Makarov. Dumbledore smiled and calmly walked down the stairs. "Makarov Dreyar. It is such an honour to meet one of my father's faithful friends." Dumbledore bent over and shook Makarov's stunned hand. "Wait….You're Percival's son….?" Makarov stuttered out, seeing how identical Percival and Dumbledore looked. " _Seems there must have been some lag. Well no matter_." Dumbledore thought as he walked behind his desk, and calmly sat down. "Please, come in." Dumbledore smiled, beckoning the fairies forward. Everyone stepped forward slowly, not sure what was going on. Makarov wanted to ask Albus where Percival was, but refrained himself. He was afraid to know the truth. And since this was Percival's elderly son, it was most likely that Percival was dead.

"I assume they are your company?" Dumbledore addressed the people behind the old man. "Yes indeed. These are my brats. I brought them with me." Makarov forced a smile, trying to hide the pain. "Erza Scarlet. Levy McGarden. Mirajane Strauss. Wendy Marvel. Lucy Heartfilia. Gray Fullbuster. Gajeel Redfox. And Natsu Dragneel. They will be accompanying me on this quest." Makarov introduced, smiling.

Snape hummed, looking at the new recruits, until opening his mouth. "Professor Dumbledore, I propose we give them a test. I believe that Makarov is who you say, but I am extremely uncertain about this destructive imbecile. Not to mention the children behind them. They may be muggles, or spies from the enemy's side. After all, they were separated in the Forbidden Forest for a while." Snape suggested with a sneer, keeping his eyes on the destructive dragon son. "We're not thieves! We don't come in and break stuff!" Natsu reassured, standing up and patted himself down. "Ok, first of all, that's mugged. Second, mugged means YOU got robbed. Third, you just burst into a room and broke priceless artifacts that could've been added to the bill." Lucy said, slightly agitated. "Wait a minute, what's muggles? And how did you know we were lost?" Levy realised, pondering on the word, and realising what Snape had said. "I have my sources." He replied monotoned and full of grit.

"Muggle is a word we use for non magic users. Humans basically." Professor McGonagall explained. "We need to make sure you aren't muggles so that our world cannot be exposed." She continued. "Why would you need to hide it? Everyone knows about magic." Natsu told them confused. The teachers' eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean everyone knows about magic? If that's true, then why did the Ministry of Magic not do anything?" Professor McGonagall exclaimed quite doubtful of this information. "But it's true. Everyone has known about it for centuries." Wendy explained in a confident voice. "But that's impossible! We've kept it a secret for-" "Professor Sprout, may I explain?" Dumbledore lifted his hand to silence her. "You see, Makarov came from another world that went by the name of Earthland. In fact, my father was originally from that world." The fairies widened their eyes in horror. Another world? It couldn't be… "In that world, everyone, even muggles, knew about magic. There was also their own version of The Ministry of Magic known as the Magic Council. He would tell me stories about this other world. How magic didn't need wands, and that there were guilds for these wizards so that they could earn money. The guild my father was affiliated with was named Fairy Tail. These people are from that guild in fact." Dumbledore explained, eyeing the Fairy Tail emblem on Lucy's hand and Natsu and Gajeel's shoulders.

"There is a catch, however. The more magic is used, the more tired you become. In fact, my father had a blue crystal named Ethernano. It was used to replenish magical energy. That reminds me." Dumbledore opened his desk and pulled out nine wands with a ring around each wand. 'These will be your wands. In order to move around, you must carry wands in order to avoid suspicion. I didn't know how many of you were coming, so I have plenty of spares. There's Ethernano inside each ring so your energy will restore when you use magic." Everyone took a wand out of Dumbledore's palm and played with them for while. "These wands are special. They can focus the magic you have and make it a physical embodiment through the wand." Erza was intrigued by this. "Alright. REQUIP!" Erza yelled out and pointed the wand up. A red magic circle came from the tip of the wand, and scanned her body as it moved down. As the circle moved down, Erza's outfit changed from her normal Heart Crux armour, to a yellow and black armour with giant black gloves and a single spiked shoulder pads. The teachers were taken aback by this. They had never seen magic like that before. "Hmm, Lucy, hold my wand." Erza placed her wand in Lucy's hand, and commanded a successful requip back into her normal gear. "So magic still works without the wands. Wonderful news." Erza smiled taking back her wand.

"Um, excuse me but….What magic do you people use?!" The stumpy professor asked surprised. "Well we're all different. Master Makarov usually uses Titan Magic, which makes him grow in size. I use Requip Magic, also known as Summoning Magic. Levy here uses Solid Script Magic, or Letter Magic. Wendy specializes in healing, supporting, and wind magic. Mira excels at transformation magic. Natsu over there uses Fire Magic. Gray uses Ice Magic. Gajeel uses Iron Magic, and Lucy here uses Celestial Magic." Erza explained, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder blade. "Celestial Magic?" The stumpy teacher repeated, knowing what the other magics do, but didn't exactly know what Celestial Magic was. "Oh, I can summon beings from different realms." Lucy explained, smiling. "Really? Mind giving us an example?" Dumbledore asked extremely intrigued. "Of course!" Lucy placed her wand down and took out her keys. "Open, Gate of the Canis Minor! Nickola!" A silver blue magic circle appeared and a little poof came out, revealing a timid little white creature with a golden pointed nose. "Pu pu pu!" It hummed. The teachers were very surprised. First summoning armour and now living beings? Impossible. "Ok Plue, I'm going to do an experiment. I'm going to send you back, OK?" Plue nodded and hummed before he disappeared. "Now, let's see…" Lucy placed her keys on a table and walked away from them, picking up her wand. "Open, Gate of the Canis Minor! Nickola!" Nothing. "Alright then. Let's try this." Lucy touched her keys and chanted again. This time Plue appeared at the end of her wand. "So I'll still need my keys." Lucy muttered. " _I would summon Aquarius, but I think I'll do it later. I doubt they'd want a flooded office."_ Lucy sighed. 'Incredible! How does it work?!' The elf professor gasped.

"I'm sorry Professor Flitwick, but something doesn't sit right with me." Professor Snape sneered in that same monotone. "Why did Makarov decide to bring children along to this dangerous mission?" Snape realised. Lucy was about to open her mouth and explain the idiotic thing Natsu did, but was cut off by Hagrid walking in. "Actually, their seventeen. But for some reason, they reverted back to children. I was going to bring them to you in the morning, but then I learnt that they were the ones we were looking for." Hagrid explained coming in from the door. "Sorry it took a while. A few students sneaking around. Don't worry I dealt with it.." The teachers looked at each other in uncertainty and surprise. They had absolutely no idea what was going on or what to do. "And for some reason Erza, Levy, and Makarov aren't in this state…." Happy mumbled, climbing on Natsu's head. Erza then grabbed his tail and squeezed it tight, as she had told him before not to talk. Happy blew up his cheeks and hair stood on end, trying not to scream.

"Is that an exceed?" Dumbledore asked, quite intrigued with the blue creature. The visiting group looked up in surprise, wondering how he knew what an exceed was. "How did you…." Dumbledore smiled at Erza's question. "My father would tell me of these mythical creatures, such as dragons, exceeds, and even the demons of Earthland." Dumbledore explained as he walked over to the cat. "I've heard rumors that they could talk and fly, unlike the cats here in this world." He smiled, as he stroked Happy's head, which resulted in a purr. "Is that true?" Hagrid jumped in, excited about another mythical creature to study. " _That's right. Master said that Percival loved to study mythical creatures. So of course his son would know about all this."_ Lucy remembered. Erza stood there thinking for a while, before coming to a conclusion. "Happy, Lily, Charla. You may talk in front of the teachers and Dumbledore, but not in front of anyone else. Understand?" She told them sternly. "Aye sir!" Happy yelled quite happy he didn't have to stay silent anymore. At least in front of the teachers. "Well I guess it's alright if they already know about this." Lily said, folding his arms. "Well if they're going to be our allies, then they have a right to know." Charla smiled. "Oh my!" Hagrid immediately picked the exceeds up and studied their structure and physicality. "A new magical creature! Mind if I study you?" Hagrid asked excitedly. "Umm...sure?" Lily said a tad concerned what he was going to go through. "Why do I have a concerned feeling about this?" Charla said also concerned. The teachers were also intrigued by the creatures. Dumbledore gave out a cough, telling them to get back on track.

"Back onto the subject, Happy did make a valid point. Erza, Wendy, Mirajane and Levy did not transformed into children, not to mention myself." Makarov said gesturing to the ones unchanged. "Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to say, but there is no way to revert you back to your normal states. However, I do know a spell that prevents growing, both in age and physicality." Dumbledore smiled. "What? Is there such a spell Professor?" Professor McGonagall gasped, turning around. "Oh but there is. It's a spell I took years to perfect. If the Ministry of Magic doesn't know about the spell, then it's not illegal yet." Albus said mischievously. "First, I need to ask you something. Did you eat or drink anything before the spell? Or was there something on your person?" Albus asked the women. "I don't believe we ate anything unusual. In fact we didn't eat anything all day." Levy nodded agreeing with Erza. "And I don't think I drank anything unusual." Mira muttered. "What about you?" Erza shook her head at Wendy's question. "We only drank water, and if that was the cause, then the others wouldn't be like this." Erza deducted. "Well, were we holding or wearing anything at the time?" Levy questioned. "The only thing we were holding was….." Wendy's mind flashed the necklace. The others realized that as well, and snapped their heads up, and looked at Makarov. "Hmm?" Makarov hummed. "The necklace!" They exclaimed together.

Makarov stood there shocked. He pulled the necklace off in a hurry and held it up. "So this prevented you from being reduced to a child." Makarov said stunned. "But gramps wasn't holding onto the necklace at the time, so how come he's still an old man?!" Natsu pointed furiously. Makarov extended his arm and largened his fist as he knocked Natsu on the head, a visible vein on his wrist. The teachers looked on, not surprised this time as Erza did explain which magic they all used. But they were still a bit jumpy about it. "I can explain that. I specifically asked for Makarov to come, so he is unaffected. Anyone else who came along would have been subjected to some side effect." Makarov nodded, agreeing to Dumbledore's theory. "Well, it's quite fortunate now. Five children and three adults will be more than enough for the mission." "Mission?" Wendy asked, the first hearing of this.

"Ah, yes of course. I should explain the mission. You see, there is a dark force at hand, pulling the strings in the darkness. There is a student attending this school by the name of Harry Potter, and there is no doubt in my mind that the enemy will target him, but I have no doubt that he will harm the other students in the process. Your mission is to go undercover and take out the puppet master whilst secretly protecting the students. Now be warned. You will be full on students for seven years, or at least until the puppet master has been dealt with. But do not worry. When you go back, the time in your world will reset, so you will be only gone for a second when you left." Everyone felt relieved when they heard that news. They didn't want to leave anyone behind for another seven years. The last time that happened, everyone suffered extremely badly. "But first…." Dumbledore readied his wand and cleared his throat. "Statue Tempus Septem Annis." A golden glow came off Levy, Wendy Mira, Erza and Makarov. Everyone else looked at the threem wondering what was happening. "It's so warm…" Wendy gasped. When the glow came off, Erza asked what had happened. "I paused your age and physicality for the next seven years, so that when you do go back, it won't be awkward that you look older than you were a second ago." Dumbledore explained chuckling. "If you do want the spell removed however, just come see me, and I will do so for you." Dumbledore smiled, everyone else smiling back.

"Now, I will assign roles to all of you. Erza Scarlet." "Yes sir?" Erza stepped forward, ready for her role. "You will be the teacher for a new subject. Summonings." "Yes sir." Erza said, and stepped back. " _Wait, Erza a teacher?! No way, I can't go through that hell again!"_ Natsu mentally screamed, remembering when Erza taught him how to read and write. " _And you will not eat, drink, or sleep until you've mastered them!"_ Natsu began to mentally cry, scared that he'll have to go through all of that again.

"Levy McGarden." Levy stepped forward, ready as well. "You will teach Runes." Levy nodded and stepped back.

"Wendy Marvel." "Y-Yes sir?" Wendy stuttered. "I was considering putting you as a student, however, I believe that your magic is something everyone must learn. Therefore, you shall be the new teacher of Healing and Support." Wendy was shocked by this position. "M-Me?! A teacher?!" Wendy gasped, pointing to herself. "B-But I'm too young to be a teacher!" Wendy argued against the Headmaster. "Not to worry. Most teachers here are over one hundred years old and still look quite young. You should have no problem, Miss Marvel." Professor McGonagall explained. Wendy nodded and bowed her head.

"Mirajane Strauss." "Sir." Mira smiled. "You shall teach the branch of Human Transfiguration magic. I think it would be a good opportunity for the students to learn disguises. You shall share the Transfiguration classes with Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore smiled. "It won't be easy, but I'll teach them." Mira smiled. "I have no objections." Professor McGonagall smiled.

"Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Gajeel Redfox, Lucy Heartfilia. The four of you will be students at the school. The Acceptance Ceremony was last night, but we can do it again for the four of you." The four of them nodded.

"And Makarov Dreyer." Makarov stepped forward, hoping for the most honorable role. "You will be another caretaker with Mr Filch. He is not here at the moment, but we will fill him in when the time comes." Makarov could feel his ego was a bit crushed. The mages stood to the side, trying not to burst out laughing. Makarov gave them all a sharp look, and they instantly stopped snickering. "I will be honored." He bowed and stepped back. "And one more thing." Everyone turned to Dumbledore once more to listen.

"In order to avoid suspicion, you must act like it is the first time you have ever met. If someone were to find out who you truly are, then the lives of the students and yourselves will be at great risk." Everyone stood silent for the moment, before Lucy spoke up. "Well, our ultimate goal is to protect the students. What good will that be if the cover is blown right away?" Everyone smiled at Lucy's way of viewing things. "That is true." Levy agreed. "I don't want anyone getting hurt. I think it's for the best." Wendy whispered, agreeing as well. "Alright, it's settled. We'll act like we don't know each other." Erza confirmed. "It's for the best." Mira said mildly sweet.

"Wonderful. Now, I believe we must introduce ourselves." Dumbledore stood up, tall and mighty. "I am Professor McGonagall. I teach Item Transfigurations and I am the Head of Gryffindor House." The witch woman said, calm and strong. "I am Professor Flitwick. I teach Charms, and I am the Head of Ravenclaw House." He said, a bit fast and pushed his glasses up. "I am Professor Sprout. I teach Herbology and Botany. I am the Head of Hufflepuff House." Professor Sprout introduced, bubbly as a tea cup. "I am Professor Snape, potions teacher, Head of Slytherin House." Snape explained, teeth gritted starting the new students down, not taking a breath. " _Creepy!"_ Lucy shivered. "I'm Hagrid. I'm one of the caretakers here. I mainly tend to the Forbidden Forest. I look forward to working with you all." He said smiling, in a deep voice. "And I am Professor Albus Dumbledore. And I bid you welcome to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."


	5. The Weirdest First Day

Harry stared out the window, the dark English clouds covering the moon's silver light. He stroked his new pet owl, Hedwig. He found it funny. That of all the pets he could've had as a child, if his horrible aunt and uncle ever cared, he never would've pictured an owl. He looked back into the room, and looked at his empty bed. Ron was snoring away, everyone else sleeping in awkward positions. Neville had turned a full ninety degree angle, and now his whole upper body and lower legs were exposed, hanging from the bed, and Seamus's arm and leg were sticking out of the bed. Hedwig gave a soft chirp, as Harry had stopped stroking her. "Sorry Hedwig." Harry apologised and began to stroke her again. "Harry…?" Ron shuffled up from the bed and squinted at Harry on the window sill. "What are you doing up? We have a bloody big day tomorrow. You gotta get your sleep." Harry smiled and leapt off the sill. "Yeah you're right." Hedwig began to squawk and flap her wings, as she wanted to be stroked longer. "Hedwig shhh! You're going to wake everyone up! I'll give you some treats tomorrow to make up for it, alright?" Harry whispered and gave her a scratch on the head. Harry leapt into the bed, and pulled the thick covers over him.

"What do you think we'll be doing tomorrow in class?" Ron asked curiously, flopping onto his back. Harry shrugged not knowing the answer. "I can't say. I can't predict the future." "But we'll learn to!" Ron countered excited. Harry chuckled at the joke. "Hey, you know what would be funny?" Ron whispered smiling, turning to his side to face Harry. "What?" Harry asked, turning his head to face Ron. "If students missed the train and missed a whole day. But then again, it may not be that bad. We'd get to do the whole feast again." Harry shook his head a bit, finding Ron's imagination amusing. "I'd feel quite awkward in that situation." Harry admitted. "Hey, I'm trynna sleep here. Can you two go to bed?" Neville slurred, rolling onto his belly. "Sorry Neville." Ron and Harry whispered simultaneously. Ron flipped to his other side and whispered goodnight to Harry. Harry whispered goodnight back to him, and stared at the ceiling. What adventures would await him tomorrow?

"Good morning boys." A bushy red-brown haired girl dropped herself on the wooden bench in next to Harry and across from Ron. "Morning Hermione." Harry replied happily. Ron glared a bit at Hermione, his face stuffed with sausages, bacon, croissants and scones. "Charming." Hermione commented on Ron sarcastically. Ron automatically slowed down his and focused his gaze to the plate next to Hermione, trying to avert her gaze. "So, what classes do we have this week?" Hermione asked Harry as Ron tidied himself up. "Hmm...Let me check." Harry pulled out his schedule and studied it thoroughly. "So after breakfast, we have a break….then potions. After that, we have another break, then History of Magic…..lunch….and the-" Harry cut off from his reading of the schedule, and turned to Hermione. "Hermione, on your schedule, does it say Summonings after Transfiguration on Tuesday?" Hermione gave Harry a confused look. "What do you mean? As in Charms class? Because that's the only way to summon an inanimate object. Also I studied the whole schedule and there was no mention of Summonings anywhere." Hermione explained, ruffling through her satchel to get to her time table. "Ron, check yours too." Hermione ordered, still searching through her bag. Ron wiped his greasy hands on his jumper and began searching through his pockets. "Here we are." Hermione sighed as she opened her little leather notebook, displaying her schedule along with her real timetable. "In the schedule I wrote, there is no mention of a Summonings class. However on the true time table, there has been a replacement of the break with Summonings." "It's not just summonings." Ron said, staring at his timetable. "What do you mean?" Hermione asked, greatly concerned. "We also have a new Healing class." He explained, in great shock. Hermione and Harry looked at the time table again in great haste. And there it was, Healing right after Charms on Wednesday. "Should we talk to Dumbledore about it?" Hermione asked, a bit frantic of the situation. "Leave it for now. We have a big day, and I'm sure Dumbledore will explain it in time." Harry shrugged off, as he started to dig into his eggs and bacon. "Well, I'll see you guys in potions. I'll ask the other students what their schedules say." Hermione stood up sharply and grabbed a piece of buttered toast. She stepped over the bench and strutted down the hallway to her first class. "I wonder what this Summonings class is about. Not to mention Healing and Transforming." Harry wondered. "Can't say. Dad never talked about such magics. Maybe it's a brand new type of magic or something…" Ron said, food spitting everywhere from his mouth. "Yeah. Maybe…." Harry sighed, and took a bite.

The whole day went in a blink for Harry. Whether he enjoyed it was a completely different matter. He was sure Professor Snape hated him as he was constantly asking him questions and got points deducted for not answering them. He found History of Magic quite boring, as the teacher droned on and on and on. At least Hermione was there to help. Charms would have been interesting if they actually did anything. Draco was constantly having a go at the teacher and other students, and the classroom filled up with arguing and shouting between Slytherin and Gryffindor. In the end, everyone had to write a one thousand word essay to explain why students should get along with the other houses for the whole lesson, plus a deduction of ten points from each house. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry could not understand what Professor Quirrell was saying due to his constant stuttering, not to mention his scar was burning through the entire lesson. Harry tried to ignore it, but in the end, he had to go to the infirmary. But once he left the classroom, the pain subsided, which got Harry puzzled. Still, he visited the infirmary, with a result of nothing wrong which made him even more curious as to why. All in all, the day could have gone better.

"My hand still hurts…" Ron complained, shaking his wrist as he sat down at the table. "Mine too…." Harry cringed, moving his hand. "Honestly. I can't believe Ron called Draco a….oh, I can't even say it!" Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "What, you mean a-" "Don't say it!" Hermione snapped at Ron, pointing at him. "But he started it!" Ron whined. "I don't care who started it! You shouldn't have called him that!" Hermione snapped. "Where did you even hear that word?" Harry asked, a bit disgusted. "My brothers." Ron said innocently. "Ron!" Two ginger haired twins roughly wrapped their arms around Ron's neck and gave him a noogie. "Fred, George." Ron greeted, gasping for air. "We 'eard what happened in Charms." Fred explained. "We didn't know our lil' brother had the guts to say such a word." George complimented, as the twins let go and ruffled his hair. They plonked down next to him, one twin on Ron's left, the other on his right. Ron grumbled in annoyance, regretting he said the word. Now Fred and George were never going to get off his back.

"Also, I asked the other students about the new summoning class." Hermione remembered. "And?" Harry asked, curious about the result. "Everyone I asked has the classes on their timetables. I think it's safe to say that they're all new classes." Hermione confirmed. "I wonder who'll be taking the classes and what they'll teach us…" She wondered.

"Fred."

"Yeah George?"

"Something's not righ'"

"What do you mean?"  
"The food should be here by now. So why are we all waiting here starving?"

Everyone sat up straight and looked at the other tables. They were all barren. "You're right. Why isn't there any food?" Hermione questioned. "Attention students!" A bold voice turned everyone's attention to Dumbledore standing at the golden stand. "Before we begin tonight's dinner, I would just like to say that I hope you all had a fantastic first day! And if I may say now, I would like to see Ron Weasly tomorrow morning before school…." Dumbledore eyed Ron, who was sitting very sheepishly at his table.

"Now with that said. We have four new teachers, a new caretaker and four new students joining us. They had arrived last night, but missed the Acceptance Ceremony, due to personal reasons." Ron almost spit out the water he was drinking. "I was only joking!" He whispered harshly to Harry in between coughs. "May I introduce the new caretaker, Makarov Dreyar." Dumbledore waved his hand to a side door. The students saw it open and close, but no one came through. Then, a tiny old man walked from behind the table, dressed in cleaning attire. "Ahem! I am Makarov Dreyar. I look forward to getting to know you all." Makarov did a little bow, and walked to the side of the room near the Slytherin table. "A tiny frail man, working here? Don't make me laugh!" A blond boy snickered, eyeing the old man. "I maybe old and frail young man, but please know that I am still staff here. So I suggest that you watch your tongue." Makarov gave the boy a sharp and deadly glare, which made Draco stop laughing. "Now focus on the ceremony." Makarov ordered him. "How dare someone with the likes of you order me around! Do that again, and my father will hear about this." Draco sneered. Makarov stared at him, very sternly. Draco stared back. Draco felt very uncomfortable that this man was staring at him. He gave a final snarl at the old man before turning back to the ceremony.

"Now, some of you may have noticed that there is a new subject in your schedules. Yes, this is true. May I present to you, your new Summonings teacher, Erza Scarlet." _BOOM!_ Everyone jumped at the sudden opening of doors, slamming on the walls. Everyone turned their heads to the main entrance as the source of the sound. There stood a strict looking woman holding out her right hand as if she just pushed open the doors. She wore a red jacket with the school emblem on the breast pocket, a tie and white button up shirt underneath. Her blue skirt complemented her black stockings and leather shoes. She adjusted her red glasses and strode on in. But what caught everyone's eye, was her scarlet red hair flicking through the wind. " _Did she have to go all out? She's a teacher, not a student…"_ Makarov thought as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "She looks really strict and scary." Ron observed scared. "And did you hear that boom? It takes strength to open those heavy doors, and I didn't see a wand in her hand. She must be really strong!" Hermione whispered to her comrades. "I don't want to get her mad…" Neville whimpered. "Hold on, she looks like she's a student herself! How is she going to teach us?!" Draco stated surprised, watching her walk to the front. The scarlet teacher swiftly turned around when she reached the front and adjusted her glasses. "Greetings everyone. I am Erza Scarlet. I will be your new Summonings teacher. I look forward to teaching you all." Erza stood at the front, arms supporting her elbows, waiting for the others to join her. "Our new Runes teacher, Miss Levy McGarden." Everyone turned to the main entrance, as they heard a sweet hum emerse from there. A bubbly blue haired girl walked down the center with a bit of stride. She wore a blue vest over an orange singlet and a yellow skirt with sneakers. "Hello everyone!" She smiled as she turned around. " I'm Levy McGarden. I will be your new Runes teacher." She smiled. Levy turned to Erza and held out her hand. "Levy McGarden. Pleasure to be working with you." "Likewise." Erza smiled, shaking her hand.

"Another teacher I have found is excellent at this craft. My students, I have found you a teacher who will teach you the ways of disguise and transformation. May I introduce to you, Miss Mirajane Strauss, teacher for Human Transfiguration." As soon as Dumbledore had finished his sentence, a loud caw filled the hall. A beautiful eagle flew above the students, dodging the floating candles, before circling around room, then gliding down the main hall, and landing gracefully to the left of the teacher's table. A beautiful woman then emerged as soon as the eagle landed. She had long silver hair, a black dress with white frills. She greeted everyone with a wave and a smile. "Hello everyone. My name is Mirajane Strauss. I will be your Human Transfiguration teacher."

"Woah, she's so beautiful!" Ron gasped. "'Old on Ron. She's way too old for you." Fred teased. "Leave me alone!" Ron commanded, but sounded whiny. "Oi George! Think of all the mischief we can do with this magic!" Fred squealed. "Oh yeah George! I sense a thousand new pranks coming our way!"

"Like getting access to the teachers' lounge."

"Or tricking students into doing something for us!"

The twins snickered as they kept on talking about all the pranks that they could pull with Transformation magic. Everyone sighed and chuckled awkwardly at the plans of the twins.

"And the final new teacher. She is a wonderful teacher who will teach you extraordinary magic. Magic that will definitely benefit your knowledge and future. Please welcome Wendy Marvel." A dark blue haired girl moved swiftly through the hallways. She wore a cute yellow dress with white and blue patterns, her sandals displaying angel wings. Everyone gasped at this little girl. "H-hello everyone. My name is Wendy Marvel. I will be teaching Healing and Support magic. I-it's nice to meet you." The girl introduced timidly and bowed.

Everyone stared and blinked at her for a while, then erupted into yells and shouts, surprised of this appearance. "Forget the red head, SHE looks like a first year!" Draco exclaimed, not believing what he saw. "How can she be a teacher?! She looks like she's our age!" Hermione violently whispered, leaning over her friends. "Students, please silence!" Everyone kept talking about this new teacher, and would not stop. "SILENCE!" Dumbledore roared. Everyone immediately shushed, staring at Dumbledore. "She may look young, but she is a master of her craft. She is an expert on healing magic, and I believe that it is a great feat to learn such wonderful magic." Dumbledore explained calmly. Everyone looked at each other with uncertainty, but Dumbledore was a wise man. Maybe Dumbledore hadn't lost his mind yet thought everyone, at least everyone but Draco.

"Now, please welcome your new teachers." Everyone slowly clapped at the new teachers. "I swear Dumbledore is going mental. An old man as a janitor, and a twelve year old as a teacher." Draco snarled, his friends snickering at his comment. "And now for your four new classmates." Everyone hushed once more, wondering who these four students were. Dumbledore's eyes scanned the room, making sure he had everyone's up most attention, then began the list.

"Lucy Heartfilia." A blond girl dressed in the Hogwarts Uniform walked through the doors, her posture straight, and head held high. Her upper arms were mostly still, but her lower arms were swinging like mad, as if she were a happy-go-lucky kind of girl. She made her way to the front in no time, and turned around to smile. "Hi everyone!" She greeted cheerfully. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I am so honored to work here with all of you!" She smiled as she bowed. Draco and Ron scanned her body up and down. Draco gave a 'she's-a-hottie' kind of smirk, while Ron was whacked over the head by Hermione, who swiftly leaned over the table and back again. Harry looked at the girl, as something was not right. She was wearing white gloves.

"Gajeel Redfox." The next student was a boy who had blood red eyes, had piercings all over his face, and looked quite demining. Draco looked interested in this character, who was stomping through the main hall, hands in pockets. He growled a bit, before standing next to Lucy. "Gajeel Redfox." He simply stated, before going silent again. " _What is he thinking? We're trying to protect the students, not scare them."_ Lucy sweat dropped. "H-Hi. Lucy Heartfilia. Nice to meet you." Lucy smiled, extending her hand. Hermione looked at Lucy's smile, which seemed a bit forced, and - dare she think it - fake. Gajeel looked at Lucy's hand, then turned away , hands still in his pockets giving a grunt. "Ok then…" Lucy muttered, putting her hand down.

"Gray Fullbuster." Everyone turned to the main door, and all the girls swooned at the boy who came in.

"He's adorable!"

"He looks so cool and suave!"

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend!"

Gray made his way to the front, and turned around hand on a hip. "Gray Fullbuster. I look forward to working with you." He introduced, not changing his face expression. All the girls blushed at this boy. All the blushing, then turned to shock and screams. Some girls averted their eyes, others stared not knowing whether to look or avert. "What's everyone screaming about?" Gray wondered out loud. Erza slid behind him, eyes closed, and looking rather ticked off. "Mister Fullbuster. Your...Clothes…!" She gritted. Gray looked down, and noticed he was only wearing his boxers. He gave a panicked yell, before scuttling his clothes back on. "Oh...My….Word…" Hermione gasped. "He did not just do that…" She gasped, her mouth open like a goldfish. George and Fred laughed their heads off, Ron trying not to burst out laughing, Neville cringed, and Harry wasn't sure to react. The Slytherin kids had a look, that resembled a new victim to pick on. The teachers did not look amused. At all. " _So much for a first impression…"_ Lucy facepalmed, ashamed. After Gray adjusted his uniform, Erza swooped in and began to scold Gray.

"Mister Fullbuster! How dare you abuse the dress code! And in the first ten seconds! Fifty points off your house!"

"B-But Er-Miss Scarlet..!"  
"One hundred!"  
"Miss Scar-"  
"Two hundred!"

"Erza, what are you doing?! We're not sorted yet!" Gray harshly whispered, trying to calm her down. "I know, just getting into the role." Erza smirked, a glint next to her closed eye, fingers and thumb supporting her chin. "What?" Gray questioned, sweat dropping. "Don't question me young man! Now apologize to the teachers! Now!" Erza forced Gray to turn to the teachers, and made him bow. "S-Sorry! It won't happen again!" Gray apologised, a bit embarrassed. "Ok, now it's official. Miss Scarlet is scary. I don't want to make her mad." Ron whimpered, Neville hastily nodding in agreement.

After everything died down, Dumbledore sighed and introduced the last student. "And our final student, Natsu Dragneel." The last student made his way down the hall, his goofy grin on his face. "What on earth has he done to his hair? Did his hairdresser mix up the colours or something?" Draco whispered to his friends snickering. Natsu suddenly stopped and faced Draco. "Hey! This is my natural colour! So lay off!" Natsu told him quite ticked off, before moving again, leaving Draco speechless. First, Draco was whispering, and second, Draco was on the far side of the room. How could Natsu hear him? Natsu reached the front and turned around to smile, his white muffler flicking around. "Yo! I'm Natsu! Pleasure to meet you!" Everyone was a bit unsure about these students. They looked at the new students as if something was off.

"We will now arrange you in your houses. First, Erza Scarlet." Dumbledore gestured to the chair, with a witch's hat resting on a table next to the chair.

Erza took her place on the sorting chair, legs crossed and fingers intertwined. Makarov looked on, flashbacking on what he told his brats before the ceremony. " _Now remember Erza, Levy, Mira, Wendy. It doesn't matter which house you are sorted in. Just as long you can access places only teachers can access. Remember the mission is always first."_ Erza looked on down the hall, all the students watching her. She felt a soft fabric land lightly on her head, and felt the brim move around, as if alive.

"Well well well. A new teacher I see. Hmm….I see you are very bold, and very daring. You are not afraid to speak your mind, and you have a very strict demeanor about you. I also see that you have had a very dark childhood, and you had to fight against your closest friends to the death on multiple occasions. You will try to help your enemies, even if they are beyond the plain of hope. Nonetheless, you are brave, bold, and will try to do what's best for your comrades, even at the own expense of your life. I believe, that you will be most suited in….GRYFFINDOR!" Erza smiled as she stood up and joined her new colleges at the teacher's table. Gryffindor cheered and stood for their new house member, excited and scared about their new member and teacher.

"Levy McGarden." Levy made her way to the chair and sat down. Her hands rested on the arms and her legs straight and together. The hat was placed on her small head, and the decision process began. "Hmm, well...I see you are very loyal to your friends, and that you would do anything for them. You lack darkness in your heart, and always try to find the best in people. You are brave to speak your mind, but timid in battle. Though I must say you are extremely smart. Did you really read one hundred books within two weeks?" The hat asked amazed. Levy just smiled and nodded. "Well then. I say that you would be most welcomed in….RAVENCLAW!" Levy leapt from the chair, and smiled a triumphant smile. As she waved to her new house members, they stood and cheered for her.

"Mirajane Strauss." Draco watched Mira take her seat, her smile still on her face. "She looks so weak. I bet she can't even fight. I tell you. She looks like she wouldn't last one second on the ba-"

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat declared. Draco stopped his sentence, mouth hanging. " _...What?! She's in our house?! How is that happy-go-lucky silver haired bimbo in our house?! The hat didn't give a reason why!"_ While Draco sat there complicating, the rest of his house stood up and applauded, even though they were as shocked as Draco was. Draco noticed everyone applauding, and hastily stood up to applaud. Even though she looked weak and feeble, it was still customary to welcome a new member of the house.

"Wendy Marvel." Wendy slowly and timidly sat on the chair, the hat flopping on her head. "Hmmm, unlike Mirajane, you do not hide anything evil behind that smile." Everyone was shocked at that information. "What does he mean by 'evil behind that smile'?!" One of Draco's chubby friend, Doyle, questioned quite scared of Miss Strauss now. "You are very brave, although you still lack in experience and training in the battlefield. You are very skilled in defence and medical magic, and will do anything to protect your friends. In other words, you are very pure and loyal. I believe you will be most suited to…..HUFFLEPUFF!" Wendy smiled in relief, and leapt off the chair joining the teachers. The Hufflepuff members, like the other houses, stood and cheered for the new house member.

"Please welcome our new teachers!" Dumbledore began to clap, the students following his actions quite enthusiastic about the new teachers. "Now for our new students. Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy stepped up after Dumbledore called her up. She sat down, the hat placed on her head. "Hmm, I see. You were brought up in a very rich household. However you decided to give it all up to find true happiness. I see you are a necessary asset when it comes to strategies and information. Like Miss McGarden, you are extremely smart, leaping onto any opportunity to learn new information. Therefore, I believe you are most suited to….RAVENCLAW!" Lucy skipped over to the Ravenclaw table, who stood up and applauded, welcoming her with open arms. They gave her a pat on the back and shook her hand before they all sat down.

"Gajeel Redfox." Gajeel flopped on the chair, legs straight and apart, his arms folded and posture sloppy, that mean look on his face. " _What is he, a delinquent?!"_ Lucy yelled mentally. "I see...you have made many mistakes in the past. You committed criminal actions towards your enemies. But I see that you are willing to change for the better. However I sense there is still darkness in your heart. Therefore you are most suited for...SLYTHERIN!"Gajeel got up and headed to his house table, not giving a damn. "Called it." Ron said cheeky like. "Welcome fellow pureblood." Draco welcomed, patting him on the back and shaking his hand. Gajeel stared at Draco, wondering what he meant by pureblood. But he didn't question him. "Thanks." He simply said, then turned away.

"Gray Fullbuster." Everyone watched as the boy got comfortable in the chair. All the first year girls were hoping that he would be in their house. The hat was set on his head, and the decision process began to start again. "Difficult...very difficult. You had an excruciating past I see. Fighting your old childhood friend to stop his plans, watching the ones you loved die before your eyes. One death in particular you blame yourself for." Gray looked at the ground, silent. "I see smarts isn't your strength. You do not let the darkness of the past corrupt your heart. And you are brave to stand for what is right. However, there is a quality that triumphs. Your loyalty to your comrades. Therefore I pronounce you...HUFFLEPUFF!" The girls in Hufflepuff stood up immediately and cheered the loudest. Gray joined his new comrades and smiled at Wendy, who smiled back. She was happy to have Gray in her house. He was like her big brother next to Natsu and Gajeel.

"Natsu Dragneel." Natsu enthusiastically leapt up and took his seat. "Alright hat, give me the house that has the most action!" Natsu commanded joyfully. "He seems enthusiastic." Seamus said smiling. "Hmm, you are not smart I see." Gray snorted after the hat said that line. " _He said the same thing about you Gray."_ Lucy thought to herself. Natsu was ready to start a fight with him, but refrained after Makarov gave him a strict gaze. "I see that you have a tendency to always act first and think later, always jumping into the fight. You are extraordinarily brave and bold. Therefore, you shall be arranged into….GRYFFINDOR!" Natsu jumped up, punching the air, and ran over to the Gryffindor table. "Welcome to Gryffindor Natsu!" A boy with glasses welcomed him, shaking his hand.

The students were now quite amused. A bimbo, a delinquent, a stripper, and a pink haired freak. But they knew that there was probably more than that to them. So the students applauded the new comers, knowing this was going to be an interesting school life from now on.

"Welcome to our new staff and students. Let the feast begin!"


	6. The Great Feast

Dumbledore waved his arms, and plates of food appeared on the table. "Woah!" Lucy gasped, never seeing this much food. "Nice!" Gray sung, leaning over for the chicken. "Sweet! Two feasts in a row!" Ron gleefully rubbed his hands together and started grab the closest foods to him. Gajeel just stared at the food, unimpressed. He then shrugged and dug into the beef and lamb. "FINALLY, I haven't eaten all day!" Natsu stood up, then grabbed everything he could hold into his arms.

"Thish ish sho delishioush!" Natsu happily chewed. "Wow, he's eating more than Ron!" A bushy haired girl gawked. Natsu looked at his new friends just sitting and staring at him. "What'sh wrong?" Natsu asked, looking at all of them. Hermione broke the awkwardness and introduced herself. "Hermione Granger, nice to meet you." She said in a formal fashion, extending her hand. "Hi Hermione! Nice to meet you too!" Natsu grinned shaking her hand with his greasy one. "Right…" Hermione muttered, feeling a bit disgusted. "Welcome Natsu. I'm Seamus." The boy further down waved. Natsu smiled and waved back. "Natsu." He said back. The others stayed silent, as they really needed no introduction. After all, they were some of the most famous wizards out there. Or at least, a member of a well respected family. Natsu looked at them wondering why they were silent. "So who are you guys?" He asked. Actually, more like blurted. Everyone sharply turned their heads at Natsu in disbelief. "Wait, you don't know who they are?" Hermione asked surprised, pointing at the boys. "Should I?" Natsu asked tilting his head.

"Natsu!" Natsu froze a bit when he heard Lucy's voice. He looked up, and saw Lucy at the other table across him. Her hand was over her mouth and head hung low. "Were you listening at all? They're famous families within the Wizarding World here." Lucy moved her eyes to look at Natsu. Who was still drawing a blank. She sighed, and began explaining. "See the three red heads across you? They're from the Weasley family. Their father works for the Ministry of Magic. In other words, their version of the Magic Council. The black haired boy sitting next to them is Neville Longbo-" Lucy then stopped herself, and sighed. "Natsu, please do not laugh or make fun of his name. He is Neville Longbottom." Natsu's cheeks puffed, trying not to laugh. As everyone looked at him, he knew he had to let it off somehow without laughing. Natsu pretended to let out a burp, as it was the only thing he could think of. Hermione scrunched up her nose and gagged, the smell ever so pungent. "Sorry Hermione." Natsu laughed, along with Ron and the twins. "His family is well respected, so please restrain yourself." Lucy sighed. "And lastly, the boy with the glasses next to you, that's Harry Potter, the main student we must protect. You got all that?" Natsu subtly looked at Lucy and nodded, before talking with his new house members again.

Lucy sighed, relieved that her whisper met the dragon's ear. " _Natsu can be such a dolt sometimes…."_ She sighed. "So Lucy, where are you from?" Two girls, one Asian and one Indian, across her asked. "Oh I'm from….Manchester…" Lucy said after thinking which English cities and towns she was told of. The Indian girl raised her eyebrow. "Manchester?" She repeated. Lucy nodded. "So are you Muggle born or half-born then?" The Asian asked Lucy. " _Alright brain, don't fail me now!"_ The girl was still looking at her waiting for an answer. "I'm half-born…" Lucy said, slightly uncomfortable by this girl's stare. And she wasn't wrong. Lucy's father wasn't a wizard, but her mother was. "I see…" Silence between them after that. The Asian girl fidgeted a bit, looking like she wanted to say something to Lucy, but didn't have the courage to. "Cho Chang." Lucy looked at the Indian girl, who looked at her Asian friend. "That's her name. She can be a bit shy around new people. My name is Padma Patil. Welcome to Ravenclaw Lucy." Padma smiled, Cho giving a small smile as well. Lucy smiled back at her new friends. "Thank you!" She smiled.

"Welcome to Hufflepuff House Gray. My name is Cedric Diggory. I'm in Fourth Year." Gray smiled and shook Cedric's held out hand. "Nice to meet you Cedric." Gray smiled. "We're honored to have you Gray. Oh! Where are my manners. I'm Susan Bones. First Year." The blondish red haired girl extended her arm over the table with her palm open. "Nice to meet you as well Susan." Gray smiled at her, shaking her hand as well. Susan could feel her cheeks blush and heart swell as Gray took her hand. "So Gray, what was with the random strip earlier? I swear that was really fast. Like in a flash you were in your underwear." Cedric asked, curious. Gray awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "It's a bit of a long story." He said embarrassed. "Well I must say, I've never seen anyone do that before. Did you see Snape's face? Priceless! I take my hat off to you sir. Oh, I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley. Welcome to Hufflepuff Gray." Gray smiled and waved at Justin. "Yo!" Gray called out. "So Gray, where are you from?" Cedric asked, after swallowing his chicken. "Me? I'm from London. Muggle born." Gray replied. Honestly, he was just throwing random cities and terminologies Dumbledore gave them this morning. Justin sat up straight, eyes glinting. "Really?! So am I! Muggle born, that is." Gray smiled, eyebrow lifted. "Really?"

Draco turned his head back to the table after eavesdropping on the new kid at Hufflepuff. "Great. Another Mud-blood. Just what this school needs." Draco complained, shaking his head. "What is this world coming to…" He sighed. Draco then turned to Gajeel, who was silently eating. Draco smiled slyly, wanting to put this new recruit to the test. "So Gajeel. Tell us. What do you think about the mud-bloods?" Gajeel turned his head to Draco confused. "Mud-blood?" He repeated blinking. "Yes. Mud-bloods." Draco repeated, smiling that sly smile. Gajeel honestly had no idea what mud-bloods were. Judging from the name, it probably mean something like dirty blood. "Well? Gajeel?" Draco provoked, still waiting for the answer. Gajeel kept his cool and shrugged. "I don't know. Cheap I guess." He replied, not really knowing who or what he was talking about. Draco and the other Slytherin kids sat back, somewhat impressed at what Gajeel had called the Muggle-borns. "Cheap? Why have I never thought of that? Great answer Gajeel. You may be a Slytherin through and through then." Draco said, quite pleased. But Draco still wanted to test his loyalty to Slytherin. " _He may have some promise. But still, I feel like he's hiding something I'll get close to him, then see what he's hiding. Then I can report it to father_." Draco thought to himself. "My name is Draco Malfoy. The two over there is Crabbe and Doyle." Draco pointed to to the two fat kids across them, stuffing their faces with meat and cream. "Why does Slytherin need you two in it? We don't need fatsos in our house." A dark haired girl sitting next to Doyle sneered at the two greedy guts. "You shut your stupid mouth Pansy!" Crabbe yelled at her food spitting food in her face. 'How about swallowing the food before talking?" Pansy snapped at him. "How about you swallow your tongue before you talk?" Doyle provoked her, Crabbe laughing at his joke. Pansy growled at them, then threw chicken skin at their heads. Crabbe and Doyle shivered as the oil dripped down their foreheads, just as Pansy went back to her dinner as if nothing ever happened.

Erza sat at the table eating her dinner, keeping a close eyes on the students, any odd behaviors stirring. The first one she immediately put on her watch list, was the blond boy talking to Gajeel. She didn't know exactly what, but there something off about that boy. But then again, he seemed a bit too young to be associated with such evil forces. But you never know. The other students seemed alright, but she should make sure to keep a close eye on them all. " _Everyone seems quite fine. However, that blond boy over there….I can't put my finger on it, but there's something wrong with him."_ Erza turned to Makarov who was still leaning against the wall next to the Slytherin Table. He nodded at Erza, hearing her through telepathy. He agreed. There was definitely something off with that boy. " _But who's to say that teachers aren't involved either"_ Erza brought a gauntlet filled with wine up to her lips. She took a sip, and moved her eyes up and down the teacher's table. From what Erza saw, there seemed to be no problems. Wendy was happily conversing with Professor Sprout and the School Nurse, Poppy Pomfrey. Probably talking about medicine and healing. Levy was talking and smiling to Professor Flitwick, whilst Mirajane was being sweet as usual to Professor Quirrell. He was stuttering a bit though. Probably a speech impediment. Erza then noticed a shabby figure on the other side of the room. He was hunching, scanning the room up and down. He seemed extremely unhygienic, and had a mean look on his face. Erza didn't take her eyes off him. Another person to keep watch on.

"Ahh! Cold!" Natsu shivered, as if a ghost had just passed through him. "Oh, that would be Sir Nicholas. He must've come to say hello!" Seamus smiled looking around. "Who now?" Natsu asked. "Nearly Headless Nick. Our house ghost." Fred explained, smiling mischievously. "...Ghost?" Natsu repeated, not believing the word that was just said. "Why hello new comer!" An old man dressed in a cape and frilly outfit flew into Natsu's face, greeting him with a smile. "GAH!" Natsu screamed out of fright and fell backwards on his seat. Everyone around him laughed and giggled at his actions. "Oh, terribly sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you. I am Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." Natsu looked at the ghost with a blank look on his face, trying to comprehend the name. "Who…" He muttered, sweat dropping about the name. "Sir Nicholas. Or Nearly Headless Nick." Neville confirmed. "Oh right! Wait, nearly headless…?" Natsu realised. "Ah yes, because of this." Nicolas then grabbed the right side of his head with his left hand stretching over his head. He then pulled his neck right open, only connected by a string of muscle and flesh. His pulse was still beating inside his neck, which caused Natsu to turn all white, trying not to scream. "I-I see…" He said with a shiver. " _Hey wait, why didn't the others scream?!"_ Natsu got back on his seat, then eyed at his team mates. They were all distracted, by talking and not looking at Natsu's direction. Natsu sighed and continued to eat. " _Guess that explains that."_ Natsu solemnly thought. "Well enjoy your meal. I'm going to say hello to the new Gryffindor teacher." Nick waved goodbye and floated towards Erza. Natsu nearly choked then turned his head to Erza.

"Good evening madam." Erza looked up, and saw the ghost dangling before her eyes. "Ah, Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington I presume. Professor McGonagall was just talking about you. Is it true you're nearly headless?" She asked, calm and strong. "Why yes it is. Like so…" And Nicholas pulled his head off once more. Wendy and Levy screamed and nearly fainted, whilst Mira smiled and simply said. "Oh my goodness." Lucy, Gajeel, and Gray heard the screaming at the front and turned their attention to them. What she saw, made her blood curdle. "KYA! WHAT IN THE…!" She shrieked. "Oh, don't worry Lucy. That's Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. He's Gryffindor's ghost." A boy calmly replied. "U-Uh-huh…" Lucy stuttered, before almost passing out. Gray and Gajeel stared at the ghost, food dropping from their open mouths. "What the…" They said simultaneously. "Oh that's Nearly Headless Nick. Gryffindor's ghost. Don't worry, he's completely harmless." Susan smiled at Gray. Gajeel overheard the conversation between Susan and Gray, as he had a feeling the Slytherin kids wouldn't tell him what was going on.

Erza nodded and smiled. "Very interesting. I look forward to working with you." "Likewise." The ghost replied and floated off. " _Are you for real?! Someone could have at least warned me before hand!"_ Natsu thought furiously, as he munched through his food. The others just watched him eat, wondering what was wrong with him.

"So does each house have a ghost?" Gray asked Justin and Cedric. "Why yes they do!" A hearty voice enthusiastically said behind Gray. Gray felt a shiver like no other running up his spine and above his head. "Fat Friar! Good to see you again!" Cedric waved above and behind Gray. Gray slowly turned around and looked up, and saw a fat man wearing brown robes, a cross necklace, and holding a silver gauntlet. "Gray, this is Fat Friar. He's Hufflepuff's ghost." Susan explained to him. "I-I see...Hello…" Gray waved at the friar, who immediately zoomed down to Gray, observing the silver necklace around his neck. Gray slightly leaned back, slightly spooked by the ghost. Sure First Master was like a ghost, but she wasn't transparent and wasn't this creepy. "Umm…" Gray started nervously. "Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to pry. Just observing your necklace is all." The Friar explained smiling, then floated away to say hello to Wendy. "R-Right…" Gray stuttered, before turning to Wendy. She seemed a bit frightened a bit at first, but then began to smile at him. Gray smiled to himself, knowing Wendy was fine.

"Oh, you must be Lucy. Welcome to Ravenclaw dear." Lucy turned to the side, and saw a pale, blue woman standing next to her, hands resting on the lower half of the dress, the fingers softly intertwined. She then placed her right hand on her chest and slightly bowed. "I am The Gray Lady. Ravenclaw's ghost." Lucy looked at her for a bit, then jolted up, as she was in the presence of a noble like being. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Lucy hastily said, bowing vigorously. The Gray Lady chuckled a bit, her right hand fingers touching her lips. "Such manners. Now you kids better be nice to your new house member, alright?" Helena told the kids behind Lucy, who all smiled and nodded. Helena then turned around and walked towards Levy. "She doesn't like flying that much." Cho simply stated, before going silent again. Lucy continued to watch her walk down the hall towards Levy. She seemed really friendly and nice. And seeing Levy smile at her a few seconds into the conversation, Levy seemed to think so as well.

Gajeel looked around, seeing the three other houses with their ghosts. "So who's our house ghost?" Gajeel asked in between bites. "Tis I. The Bloody Baron." Gajeel lifted his head up and saw a well presented man wearing a gray curly wig, dressed in old fancy clothes. "You must be Mister Gajeel. I bid you welcome to this fine establishment, and we are deeply honored to have you in the winning house." The Baron took a deep bow to Gajeel as he welcomed him into the house. "You don't seem that bloody to me buddy." Gajeel gruffly stated. "In time I shall say. I do hope you will help us defeat the other houses and keep our winning streak strong and healthy. We've been winning for six years in row. You hear that Sir Nick! Six years!" The Baron yelled triumphantly and flew off to taunt Sir Nicholas. Mirajane smiled at her house ghost, loving his enthusiasm. "Goodness me!" She smiled.

"Children! Children!" Everyone shushed, and turned to the front. "I hope you will welcome our new teachers and students with great love and nurturance. As they are only one day late, they will still be learning along with the First Years. The time is now to rest for tomorrow. Goodnight students, and have a fantastic year. Dismissed." As Dumbledore clapped his hands, the food on the table disappeared. "Hey no fair! I wanted to try the stuffed pork next…." Natsu whined. "Don't worry." Ron whispered to him, and showed Natsu his pocket. Inside was a wrapped hanky that smelt of… "Stuffed pork! Yum! Thanks Ron!" Ron smiled at his new friend and whispered that they will eat it as soon as they get back to the dorms. Natsu mischievously chuckled as got up and walked with his house.

As all the houses went their ways, the four student spies looked at each other one more time, and gave a subtle nod before exiting the main hall. Lucy saw her house turn right, and so she followed the crowd. Gray was the same and followed his house as they turned left, cool as he could be. Gryffindor and Slytherin walked together for a while, not a word keeping a good six feet (2 metres) in distance between them. "Well this is intense eh Salamander?" Gajeel whispered extremely low under his breath. "Yeah...Like there's some bad blood between the houses or something." Natsu replied, his voice the same as Gajeel's. "Heh. Kinda reminds me of old times, eh Salamander?" Gajeel pointed out, the tension kind of reminding him of the bad blood between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail, all those years ago. "I guess so." Natsu replied, and hummed. "Is something the matter Natsu?" Harry asked him, noticing Natsu's blind stare into the ceiling. "Huh? Oh no. Just wondering why Slytherin and Gryffindor aren't talking to each other." Harry, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, and Neville, looked at each other, like they knew something Natsu didn't. "We'll tell you later." Hermione whispered to the new recruit. The two houses continued walking side by side, the members of each house avoiding eye contact with the other house. The only members who constantly looked at each other, was Natsu and Gajeel who both had no idea what was happening, and why it was so. Soon, the two houses reached a tower of stairways, decorated with paintings and brightly lit with torches. "Woah…" Gajeel and Natsu gasped. As Gryffindor began to move up the stairs, Hermione leaned into Natsu's ear and whispered. "Beware the stairs." And walked off. Natsu was confused by what she meant and turned to Gajeel, who also happened to catch the warning, and merely shrugged as he followed his house down the stairs.


	7. Rules, Restrictions, and Requirements

**So for future chapters, would you like to see any more characters from the Fairy Tail Universe? If so leave a message and I will consider. Enjoy!**

As Natsu followed his house, he kept on stopping at the moving paintings, freaking out a bit. But then he would start teasing the paintings by poking and shaking the paintings. "Mister Dragneel, if you could not touch the paintings please." The head Gryffindor boy said. "Alright… sorry dudes!" Natsu apologised to the paintings and moved on with the group. _Crack_

"Woah!" Natsu clung to the railings as the stairs suddenly began to move around. " _Oh no! Transportation…!"_ Natsu then flopped onto the railings, looking green as the stairs turned. "Uh, guys. Natsu doesn't look so good." Neville told his classmates, who were starting to worry about Natsu. "Natsu, are you alright?" Harry asked, concerned. When the stairway suddenly stopped, Natsu immediately zoomed up the stairway creating a strong breeze behind him. "What in the…." Hermione looked up after adjusting her hair and saw Natsu at the top. "Come on you slow pokes, let's get moving!" He smiled. "Wow…" Hermione let loose.

After ten minutes, the house finally reached their destination. A painting of an opera singer. "What's this?" Natsu asked Ron and Harry. "You'll see." Ron smirked mischievously. "Only Gryffindors with the password may enter." The lady told them. "Caput Draconis." The head answered. The lady sat there for a while, then nodded and opened the door.

"Woah! This place is sweet!" Natsu praised. He then eyed the fire, his mouth burning for that hot flame to slide down his throat and warm up his stomach. But he knew he couldn't. At least, not in front of prying eyes. It felt so warm and welcoming. The walls pure red and yellow, the furniture seated nicely in front of the fire. There were also tables and bookcases for study, and a spiral staircase leading upstairs. Before Ron left Natsu, Natsu felt something being stuffed into his hand. Natsu looked down and saw Ron's handkerchief wrapped around the stuffed pork. Natsu smiled at Ron who was talking with Harry. Natsu swiftly stuck it in his pocket, before anyone noticed. As everyone cleared the lower floor into the bedrooms, Natsu was asked to stay behind by a curly orange haired boy. When they were all alone, the boy greeted Natsu.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room Natsu. My name is Percy Weasley, head boy for Gryffindor House." Before Percy continued, Natsu interrupted him. "Hold on, Weasly? Are you related to Ron and the twins?" Natsu asked out of curiosity. "Yes, I am their older brother. Now, just a few rules and regulations." "Thank you Mister Weasley for making the boy feel welcome. However I shall take it from here." The boys looked at the entrance, and saw the old witch appearing through the painting. "Professor McGonagall. Are you certain?" Percy asked. "Of course. Now off to bed with you." Percy slowly turned around, as if not sure. He then bolted up the stairs and turned to the boys dorms. Professor McGonagall smiled at Natsu after Percy left.

"I trust you enjoyed yourself tonight Mister Dragneel." Natsu nodded and smiled. "Yeah! It was really great!" Professor McGonagall chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. Now, let us resume where Mister Weasley left off. After ten, you may not leave the Common Room. Bed time is at the latest twelve. The boys and girls must be separated during bed time. Students are not allowed on the third floor. They are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest. And most importantly, do not show the Common Room to any outside houses. Any questions so far?" Natsu shook his head in response. "Good. Now Dumbledore has given you and your companions special permission to go about the school after curfew and releases restriction on the third floor and the forest, but you still must be careful, as only the Heads and Dumbledore know about this. And you still cannot show the Common Room to your friends, unless it is extremely urgent. You'll be staying with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Harry. All your belongings should already be there, including your animal companion. If you have any concerns, just come to me or Percy, and we'll help you." Natsu smiled at her, grateful for her hospitality. "Awesome! Thanks!" And Natsu bolted up the stairs and turned right. "Wait Mister Dragneel, that's the-" _CRASH!_ "ARGH! GET OUT OF HERE YOU JERK!" _SLAP!_ Natsu then slowly walked out of the door, a red swelling mark on the left of his cheek. "You didn't let me finish. That's the girls dorm. The boys dorm is that way." Professor McGonagall pointed to the left, Natsu silently lifting his hand as a thanks and walked on through.

"So where are we going?" Gajeel asked his new comrades walking down the stairs. "To the Slytherin Common Room of course. Are you that dumb?" Pansy scoffed. Gajeel just growled at her in response, which Pansy ignored.

 _Crack_

"What the-!" Gajeel could feel the ground moving beneath him. The stairs suddenly swung to the left, disconnecting from the current location. " _Oh man…! Stay strong…! Don't be sick…!"_ Gajeel panted and gagged a bit, starting to sweating bullets. When the staircase stopped, Gajeel wiped away his sweaty forehead and continued to walk as if nothing ever happened. " _Man, if they saw me like this, I could become a constant target. Which wouldn't be great for the mission."_ Gajeel thought to himself, moving deeper and deeper into Hogwarts' dungeons. It was dreary and cold. Green seemed to illuminate the walls. The children twisted and turned through the dingy hallways, until they reached a dead end that smelt damp and mouldy. "Pure blood." Draco called out, before the Head could. A soft rumble came from the wall, and slid open into a rectangular door. Inside was green. The only thing that was a different colour, was the orange and red fire. A table sat in the far back of the room, while couches and arm chairs rested at the bottom of the stairs. On both sides of the room, there were stairs. Presumably to the dorms. "Well isn't this nice and cosy." Gajeel joked, gazing around the room. There were tapestries everywhere with a man or a woman posing majestically on the dark purple fabric. But what really caught Gajeel's eye, was a man with black short hair, a cold stare piercing the room. It looked quite new, compared to the other tapestries. As everyone split to attend their dormitories, Gajeel walked over to the tapestry and looked at the man. "Hmm, Tom Marvelo Riddle…" Gajeel read out loud, his name sewn into the fabric. He stared at the face for a while, then turned away, feeling the heebie jeebies with that tapestry.

"Ah, Mister Redfox. So glad you could join us." A stern, monotonic voice welcomed him. Gajeel turned around once more, facing the tapestry, but this time Professor Snape was there standing in front of it. "Snape." Gajeel smiled mockingly, placing his hands on his hips. "That's Professor Snape to you, Mister Redfox." Professor Snape corrected, his voice showing clear signs he was not joking around. "Geez, lighten up a bit. I was only joking." Gajeel claimed still smiling. "Well, I would refrain that from now on Mister Redfox. I'd hate to take points off my own house." Snape said, slyly and solemnly. "You don't have to if you don't want to." Gajeel shot back, still mockingly smiling. The two stared at eachother for a bit, until Snape broke the silence. "I am aware of why you are truly here, but that is still no excuse to not know the common rules of this fine establishment. First, you must return to the Common Room by ten sharp, not a second late. You must be in bed by midnight. The boys must never enter the girls dorms and vise versa. The third floor and the Forbidden Forest is strictly restricted for the students. And lastly, it is strictly forbidden to show the Common Rooms to anyone outside of Slytherin. Have I made myself clear?" Snape droned, Gajeel just nodding in response. "Very good. Of course Professor Dumbledore has given you special permission to leave after curfew, and has lifted the restriction off the third floor and the forest for you and your friends, but just be aware only the head of the houses and Professor Dumbledore knows about this, and showing the Common Rooms are still strictly forbidden, but you and your friends may enter the other Common Rooms and ours as well, if there is trouble which I doubt. Now, you shall be rooming with Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Doyle, your….. animal companion and your belongings will already be waiting for you. The boys dorms is down to your right." Gajeel turned around, following Snape's direction with his eyes. "And good luck Mister Redfox." Gajeel swiftly turned around, but Snape had disappeared, leaving behind a black smoke, that smelt foul and dark. Gajeel had to cover his nose and mouth until the smell subsided, then made his way to his room.

"So, where are we?" Gray asked, pointing at all these barrels facing the students. "This is the passageway to the Hufflepuff Common Room." Susan explained, smiling. "Right. So, how do we get in?" Gray asked scratching his head. "See that barrel right there?" Justin patted Gray on the back and pointed at the barrel two from the bottom and middle of the second row. "Take out your wand and tap it to the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff. See, watch Cedric." Gray watch Cedric carefully, tapping his wand in rhythm on the barrel. He then stepped back and the barrel door slowly swung open. Cedric then crawled into the barrel and stood up, the barrel giving him room to walk inside. The other kids followed him in, but Susan and Justin asked Gray to stay behind for a while. Two blond boys then stopped and turned to face Susan, Justin, and Gray. "Hey, you guys coming in?" The long haired blond boy asked. "Or are you going to see if Gray's got the password?" The shorter blond haired boy asked. Justin just smiled. "We're just going to see if Gray can open the door. We'll be in in a minute guys." He simply replied. "Alright. Be careful you don't get it wrong Gray." The barrel closed behind them, leaving the other three outside.

"Alright Gray, give it a try. But be warned, if you get it wrong you'll be denied access for a while. Plus, a bit of a sour shock…" Justin explained, before pushing Gray forward towards the barrel. "Um...Ok then…" Gray took out his wand and twirled it in his hand. "Right, I believe it was this…" Gray tapped his wand in the rhythm of the song. Gray was doing well, until he accidently added an extra beat where there was meant to be a rest. "Crap!" Gray blurted, before his face was greeted with a refreshing, but burning and sour liquid. "*Cough!* Bleah! What is this?!" Gray asked, coughing his lungs out. "Vinegar. For the intruders." Susan explained, trying not to laugh. "Here, we'll open it." Justin smiled, trying not to laugh as well. As soon as the three entered, everyone was gone. Presumably to their rooms. Gray was taken away by the beauty of the room. It was so warm and bright. It was also very big and cosy, a fireplace softly crackling, plants and pots decorating the room, and the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff above the fire. And there was Professor Sprout, waiting for him.

"Welcome Mister Fullbuster to Hufflepuff! Such an honour to have a new house member! Oh dear, got sprayed by the vinegar did we?" She chuckled. Gray sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, releasing an awkward chuckle. "Well do not worry. I will reset the door for you. Now, Susan, Justin, off to bed." "Yes Professor Sprout." They nodded and headed to their dorms. "Now some rules and regulations. You must be here by ten, must be in bed by midnight, boys and girls will not sleep together, and you must not show the Common Room to the other houses. Dumbledore, however, has lent you special permission to patrol the school and enter the third floor and the forest, and to allow your comrades in the other Common Rooms as long as it is an emergency. But be careful, as you will be treated like every other student here. So don't get caught alright?" Gray nodded. "Right, you will be roomed with Zacharias Smith, Ernie Macmillan, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, your personal belongings will already be there. Boys dorms on the left, girls right. Enjoy your stay Mister Fullbuster." Gray smiled and nodded, and made his way to his new room.

"This place is incredible!" Lucy awed. She couldn't stop staring above her, watching never ending tower of stairs change and move. "Lucy Heartfilia, keep up please." An older girl with long blond hair leading the house called out to her. "Oh yes! Sorry!" Lucy called back, rushing towards the group. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" Lucy stopped dead in her tracks, her child skin chilled, eyes widened by fright. She slowly creaked her head left, and witnessed the painting smile and wave. "THE PAINTINGS CAN TALK?!" Lucy screamed, her body turned away from the painting, arms in a karate chop position, and standing on her right leg. "Of course we can dear. It's always been this way." The girl in the painting replied. She wore a Victorian black dress, sitting very proper on her chair, behind her a beautiful garden. Her green eyes showing a comforting smile, and her brown hair in a bun. But Lucy couldn't shake the feeling that they had met somewhere before. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Lucy asked, lowering her defenses. "I'm sorry dear, but this is the first time we've met." The girl replied, still smiling. "Lucy!" A far away call echoed. "Oh! Coming!" Lucy darted up the stairs, wanting to avoid the move of the stairs. "Oh, it was nice to meet you!" Lucy smiled as she stopped to waved, then turned around to join her house. The girl watched her, smiling a mischievous grin.

The house continued to move up a long twisted stairwell, Lucy almost collapsing of exhaustion. Once they reached the top, there was a long corridor of paintings and busts moving their heads, watching the children pass through. As the children exited the narrow path, they were welcomed to an oval room, with chairs and statues next to a large wooden door. There was a giant globe in one corner of the room, and the whole room was decorated in blue and bronze. Blue chairs, bronze map, blue tapestry, bronze armour. " _Is this the Common Room? No, it can't be, it's too easy to access. But who knows, I maybe wrong…"_ Lucy pondered, as she mindlessly kept walking forward. When she came back to reality, she noticed she was the only one at the wooden door across the room. She looked behind her, and saw that everyone was watching her. "Well go on. Open the door." The blond girl commanded, her head gesturing towards the door. "What?" Lucy asked, puzzled. "You're in Ravenclaw aren't you? Let's see if you can open the door without our help." She said with a bit of mock in her voice. "Uh, ok then…" Lucy muttered and faced the door. She stared at the door, then put on her thinking face.

" _Let's see, there's no lock or knob or handle of some kind. Will I need a spell to open it? No, for those coming in for the first time, it would be to advance to know without the help of teachers or older students. And since they just asked me to do this on my own on the first try, I can eliminate that."_ Lucy then stroked her hand on the door. She could hear a few students snickering behind her. " _Maybe a secret latch? No, that would be too simple, for people to use magic that is."_ Lucy took her hand off the door, and pondered again. " _Maybe I'm thinking too deep into this. There could be someone on the other side. I highly doubt it, but it's worth a try."_ Lucy let her hands down and knocked hard and clear on the door.

" **Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"** A deep booming voice came from behind the door. This took Lucy by surprise, as she expected no answer. "Uhh….which came first?" Lucy asked again, still surprised by the sudden voice. " **Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"** The voice asked again. Lucy calmed down, then took her pondering position once more. " _Let's see...The phoenix rises from the ashes of a fire, so the obvious answer would be fire. But when a phoenix dies, it erupts into flames and leaves behind ashes giving birth to a new phoenix. It's like a circle…"_ Lucy's mind then pinged, her eyes widened, thinking she now knew the answer. " _That's it!"_ " **What is your answer?"** The voice asked Lucy, who was now standing confident. "A circle has no end." She said with strength and confidence. The room stood still for a while, then the voice spoke up. " **Well reasoned."** And with that, the door opened.

Lucy looked in awe of the Common Room. The ceiling was extremely high, an openness flying around the room. A high bookshelf was a cone in the wall with the statue of a beautiful woman guarding it. Next to the statue were two stairways, one on her left, and the other on her right. Arched windows gave a beautiful view to the courtyard, forest, towers, and to the river, depending on which window you looked at. But Lucy's favourite thing about the room, was the dome in the ceiling. The dome was decorated with stars, the edges showing the twelve zodiac constellations. It made her smile and touched her keys, feeling their warmth in her soul.

"Nice going. Seems you are Ravenclaw material." The blond girl told Lucy as she walked by, snapping Lucy out of her trance. As everyone moved up the stairs next to the statute, girls on the right and boys to the left, Lucy was asked to stay behind. Once everyone left, there was just Lucy and the girl. "Well now. Welcome to Ravenclaw." The girl smiled. "I am Penelope Clearwater, Head Girl of Ravenclaw. Please excuse me for my rude behaviour earlier." Penelope apologise. "Oh, no! It's fine! Don't worry about it!" Young Lucy said, a tad embarrassed. Penelope smiled and continued. "Now, I have been told Professor Flitwick with go through the rules and regulations with you. But it seems he is not here yet. So I will introduce you to the rules." Lucy nodded in understandment. "First, be back in the Common Room by ten. Second, be in bed by midnight. Third, boys and girls shall sleep separately. Fourth, the Third Floor and the Forbidden Forest are strictly off limits, and finally-" "No outsiders shall enter the Common Room." The girls turned around and saw the stubby old man hobbling into the room. "Professor Flitwick!" Penelope exclaimed. "Thank you Penelope, I shall take it from here." The old man said smiling. Penelope gave a nod and left the room. As soon as she was gone, the old man began to talk to Lucy. "Indeed welcome to Ravenclaw dear. Such an honour to have you." Lucy smiled at him sweetly. "Thanks!" She replied. "Now, with those rules, Dumbledore has given you and your friends special permission to exit past curfew, and to let your allies in, as long as there is something urgent happening in this room. Any other reason is unacceptable." Lucy nodded in understandment. "Oh, and another thing. Only the Heads and Dumbledore know about this, so tread carefully." Lucy replied with an ok. "Now, you shall be rooming with Padma Patil and Cho Chang. All your belongings are there." Lucy smiled and gave her thanks, as she walked to the girls stairway.

"What a beautiful room!" Wendy sang happily, observing their new quarters. The room was a circle, decorated in a red rug, a blue starry dome for a ceiling, green plated windows, and yellow walls decorated with plant patterns. The beds were circled around the room, each the teachers' own house colour and a desk and bookcase beside each bed. In the middle was a wooden table with comfy armchairs, and a door straight across the entrance, leading to a bathroom on the right and balcony on the left. "Indeed. I must say it is quite suitable." Erza smiled, looking around the room. "The beds are so soft!" Levy sighed, flopping onto the bed. Mira chuckled, watching everyone feeling comfortable. "Hey, where's Charla?" Wendy realised, sitting up and looking around the room. "I'm right here child." A sweet, yet firm voice called out. Everyone turned their heads towards the door leading to the bathroom and balcony. There standing at the ajar door, was the white cat, now turned kitten wrapped in fluffy towels, and a turban around her head. "Ah, that was a relaxing bath." Charla sighed, drying her face with a hand towel. "Really, I may have to take one." Erza smiled, walking through to the bathroom. "I wonder if the others are fitting in nicely." Levy hummed, staring at the bed's blue velvet cover supported by the four bedposts. "They should be fine. They're members of Fairy Tail after all" Mira smiled sitting down on the green bed. "What about master?" Wendy asked, sitting cross legged on the bed. "He's probably fine. He is the master after all." Charla smiled .

"Welcome to your room." Makarov blinked at his new attire. There was a dim candle at the end of its wick, wax all over the floor, hanging from the cracked ceiling. A creaky old bed with tattered sheets taking up most of the space in the left hand corner with cat hair all over the bed. The right had a sink, toilet, and bath, whilst at the end of the bed was a wardrobe filled with cleaning equipment. The ceiling was leaking a bit, and the room smelled of mold. "Come Mrs Norris. It's time for our rounds. Oh, and do enjoy your stay." The senior caretaker said slyly and mockingly, before closing the door. Makarov stared at the room once more, before crying out, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"


	8. Operation Protect Hogwarts, Begin!

The next day, Harry and Ron sat together at the breakfast table in silence, slowly eating their breakfast. "Morning boys." Hermione greeted them with a smile. She got no response. "Harry, Ron, are you alright?" Ron looked at Hermione, wanting them to answer her question. "Hermione, did you ever read anything about blue cats?" Hermione was shocked a bit by Ron's question. "What do you mean? Blue cats? There are no blue cats in the Wizarding World, let alone the Muggle World. Why?" Hermione asked, as she sat down. "Natsu has a natural blue cat." He continued. Hermione lifted an eyebrow to this statement. "Really?" She asked, not fully convinced. "Yeah! He does! He said he found Happy in a forest!" Ron argued with her. "Happy?" Hermione repeated. "That's the cat's name." Harry clarified. "Right…" Hermione slowly said, and got up to move seats. "We're not lying! Ask Natsu yourself!" Ron pleaded. "Speaking of which, where is Natsu? I thought he came down with us. When did he slip away?" Neville asked looking around. "Come to think of it, where are the new students?" Hermione looked around, not seeing them anywhere. "Where are they?" Semus questioned.

"Why do we have to skip breakfast, I'm starving! And I hate these uniforms, they're too big!" Natsu whined, walking through the halls with Lucy, struggling a bit with his uniform. Happy had his casual 'That's-Natsu-for-ya' look on his face as he walked on all fours in between Lucy and Natsu. "Look, Master said this was important. We have to meet the others on the fourth floor. And that's the regulation here. If we want to blend in, we must wear the uniform." Lucy sighed and scolded. 'Where are the others?" Natsu asked innocently. 'They're all making their own way there." Lucy sighed, turning into the tower of moving staircases. "Eek! No way am I going on those death staircases!" He said confidently. "Natsu, stop being so stupid. Now let's go." Lucy said, a bit annoyed. "But I don't wanna!" Natsu whinged. "Natsu!" Lucy snapped. "No!" Natsu stubbornly decided, folding his arms and pouting his face. "Natsu, stop being a child!" Lucy snapped. "No!" Natsu denied and hugged the rippled marble column close to the door, refusing to move. "Why don't I just fly him up?" Happy whispered to Lucy. "No, we can't risk anyone seeing you fly. At least not yet." Lucy reasoned to Happy. "I don't wanna get sick! There's no way I'm going into that hall of death and despair!" Natsu whined, still hugging the column, and kicking his feet. "Alright Natsu, you asked for it!" Lucy rolled up her sleeves, grabbed his legs, and started to pull. "Natsu! We are going, no excuses!" Lucy argued, her face strained from the pulling. "No!" Natsu refused. "Stop. Being. Such. A. Baby!" Lucy gritted irritated, pulling Natsu with her shoulders. "No!" Natsu repeated. "Natsu! Stop it! Do you want a scolding from Erza?!" Lucy questioned, hoping that would give Natsu the motivation to let go. "I don't care!" Natsu blurted, still whining like, well, a kid. "Geez! I guess the spell didn't reverse just your physicality. Now stop your complaining and let's go!" Lucy commanded, giving one big pull. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Natsu cried, clinging tight to the column.

"Natsu! There you are!" A female voice close by ran towards the bickering couple. "You guys!" Natsu said, with surprised. "We were wondering where...you….were…." Hermione trailed off as she stopped in her tracks, Ron and Harry stopping behind her. "What are you doing?" Harry asked, extremely confused why the new Ravenclaw girl was pulling Natsu, who was clutching the column. "O-oh, he's just refusing to go up the stairs is all." Lucy explained, smiling sweetly, still clutching Natsu's ankle. "I see….You're Lucy right?" Harry asked her, lifting an eyebrow. Lucy just smiled and nodded. "Lucy Heartfilia, nice to meet you." Lucy introduced to them, extending a hand.

"Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasly."

"Harry Potter."

"A pleasure to meet you all." Lucy smiled, her hand going back to Natsu's ankle. "So Lucy, do you know Natsu?" Harry asked, looking at Natsu. "U-Um…." Lucy rattled her brain. If she said no, then they would wonder why she was pulling him. If she said yes, then they could both be automatic targets if one of them was caught with something. She was silent for a full six seconds. She had to say something. Anything!

"We're engaged."

Silence. "...WHAT?!" All three students exclaimed, mouths dropped. "Wait a minute wha-" "Just play along." Lucy said in a low soft voice, towards the surprised Natsu. "W-well you see, we both come from prestigious families, and before we were born, our parents made an agreement for us to wed when we were old enough. Even though I'm a half born, my father still insists on keeping the tradition. So my father and his business partner decided for us to wed once they found out he was a boy. This is actually the first time we've met. " Lucy lied, but due to her sweet innocent voice, you wouldn't be able to tell. "We were actually just gonna go talk now. Come on Natsu!" Lucy gave Natsu another pull, but he was still denying to go up the moving stairs. "Ok, that's it! Stupefy!" Lucy snapped out her wand and pointed the tip to Natsu, who flopped down, dizzy and blacked out. Lucy sighed and held her hand to her forehead. "Honestly. I've never met anyone so thick headed. Are you really going to be my husband?" She sighed. She pointed her wand at Natsu again, and chanted the word; "Mobilicorpus" Natsu's body began to float at the tip of Lucy's wand, surprising everyone around her. The new kids hadn't even started class and the first years never even learned about these spells yet. "Sorry to cause so much trouble. He'll be in the main hall soon!" Lucy waved at the surprised trio and began to walk up the stairs. "Come on kitty! I'm sure your master would want you there." Lucy smiled at the blue cat, who was quite shocked that Lucy knew such a spell. "M-meow!" Happy stuttered as he followed Lucy. Hermione's eyes sharply widened as she witnessed Happy climb up the stairs. "See, told you he was blue." Ron whispered with an 'I-told-you-so' tone of voice.

"Lucy, where did you learn those spells?!" Happy asked, really in shock of what happened. Lucy smirked and told him; "In our Common Room, we have lots of books. Last night I read a Dictionary of Spells." Happy ohed in understandment. "So what other spells do you know?" Happy asked curious. "There is another one I know, but I'll show you later. I only remembered these spells cause I had a feeling I would need them. Especially for Natsu." Lucy explained. "I guess…" Happy muttered. "Speaking of Natsu, are you guys really engaged?" Happy provoked, a cheeky smile on his face. "I knew it! You loooooove him!" Happy teased. "Shut up! I am not! I couldn't think of anything, so I had to lie." Lucy blushed. "Sure, and I'm not blue." Happy teased some more. "Shut it, or I will kick your face in cat!" Lucy snapped.

"Right, just another few flight of steps and we should be there. Now…" Lucy set Natsu down on the balcony floor and cleared her throat. She prepared her wand once more, and chanted the other spell; "Aguamenti!" A strong stream of water shot out of her wand and directly into Natsu's now awake face. "Cough cough! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Natsu immediately yelled. "You were unconscious. I had no choice." Lucy reasoned. "You could have just shook me. And what's this about us being engaged?" Natsu asked, folding his arms. "That was a lie of course. If you only agreed to go up the stairs in the first place, then maybe we wouldn't have bumped into them, and I wouldn't have to say that!" Lucy scolded. Natsu groaned as he got up, and shook himself like a dog until he was dry. "Anyway, since we're here I guess there's no turning back." Natsu muttered in his cute voice stomping up the stairs. "Let's go, or Erza will be mad." Natsu simply said, walking up the stairs. "Oh, so now you're worried about Erza." Lucy muttered angrily. "Course she's scary!" Natsu quivered. "You had no problem before!" Lucy argued back. The two began to bicker while walking up the stairs. " _Two minutes in and they're already acting like a married couple."_ Happy sighed, following them up.

"Where are those two?" Erza said quite irritated, tapping her foot. "They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago." "Natsu I can understand, but Lucy?" Gray muttered under his breath. "Maybe Lucy bumped into Natsu." Wendy suggested. "Maybe." Gray sighed. "Is something wrong master? You seem a little tired." Mira asked, noticing that Makarov had baggy eyes and a hunched back. "Oh nothing. Just didn't sleep well is all." Makarov sighed, rubbing his eyes. "So sorry we're late!' Lucy ran up the stairs, Natsu and Happy running behind her. "Where were you two?" Erza asked sternly. "We had a bit of a run in with Harry and his friends. Also Natsu's motion sickness." Lucy explained, a bit ticked off when talking about Natsu. "How did you avoid Harry?" Both of them froze after Gray popped the question and looked at each other awkwardly. "Oh my! I hope you didn't pull off the excuse Evergreen and Elfman did during the S-Class exam." Mira smiled jokingly. Lucy froze for a bit, then vigorously looked at each Natsu, who was sitting there in a daze, then at Mira. "W-w-why would you think that Mira?! We're just friends, nothing more!" Lucy said, flustering her arms, her face red with embarrassment. Mira giggled at Lucy's actions.

"Right, enough stalling. Why are we here Master Makarov?" Erza asked,wondering what Makarov wanted to talk about. "And why during breakfast?" Natsu whined. "Because I have a surprise that I must show you as soon as possible, as it will benefit to our mission. Come with me." Makarov smiled mischievously, and gestured to him to follow. The others followed him in sheer curiosity. They eventually stopped at a large painting, the main subject a brown haired girl, tied in a high bun thin streaks of her hair draping on the sides, reading a book. "Oh hello everyone!" She smiled and closed her book. "Hey, you're that painting I met last night!" Lucy pointed at her surprised. "Oh, hello again! How are you fitting in?" The girl asked. "Oh, I'm fitting in fine." Lucy replied smiling. "Master Makarov, why did you want us to come here?" Mira questioned, wondering why Makarov wanted to show them a painting. "Oh yes! I suppose Makarov would have wanted to surprise you." The girl stood up and placed her book on the chair. "Well then." She closed her eyes as she reached up to her bun, then let her hair down. As her hair flowed down, the roots turned from a bold brown, to a pasty blond. Her long black victorian dress, became a pink frilly short skirted dress, angel wings flashed upon her head. She opened her eyes and gave a smile. "Surprise!" She yelled gleefully, hands in the air.

"Master Mavis?!" Everyone yelled in confusion. "Hey everyone!" She smiled. "Master Mavis, what are you doing here?" Erza asked, quite fazed about the sudden addition to the party. "I asked Albus if he could add Master Mavis as a painting for multiple reasons." Makarov explained, before handing over to Mavis. "First, it's easy to move from painting to painting within the school, therefore making it an excellent spy technique. And secondly, behind this painting is a special room Dumbledore created just for you, and I am the guardian. Only those who bare the Fairy Tail Symbol may enter, and I can give special permissions to non-Fairy Tail wizards if the need should be." Mavis smiled. "Ah, that's right, you guys are missing breakfast! Well, Dumbledore's prepared a special breakfast for all of you! Please come inside." Mavis stepped to the side, and gestured her arm to come inside. "A special breakfast! Alright!" Natsu yelled gleefully, and jumped straight in, leaving behind a ripple effect. "Oi! Leave some food for us!" Gray called out, he and Gajeel following in after Natsu. "I can smell it from here! Smells amazing!" Wendy awed, and ran in. "Well, I am getting hungry. We'd better get in before everyone else finishes eating." Erza smiled, and walked in, Levy and Mira following in agreement, the exceeds walking in calmly after them. "You going in Lucy?" Makarov asked her, standing beside Mavis. "Oh yes. I just need to check a few things first." She smiled, as Makarov nodded and walked in. Lucy looked around, making sure no one was watching them. "Don't worry Lucy. The paintings are in on the mission as well. I'm using Telepathy on them right now, and they say no one is following you." This made Lucy feel better, and walked up to the painting. "Go on Lucy! I'm sure your fiance is waiting." Mavis teased her. Lucy began to blush, and stepped back. "H-h-h-h-how did you know that?!" Lucy stuttered. Mavis giggled and whispered. "Just a hunch." Lucy giggled nervously. "Don't worry. I know it's not true. I'll keep it a secret." Mavis winked. "Now head on in. I'm sure everyone's waiting." Lucy nodded, and hopped on in.

Lucy felt very weird while going through the painting. It felt like she was being coated by a series of colours, but she also felt a sea of cleanliness. Once Lucy came through, she was taken away by the room. The room was an octagon shaped, and had a big round table in the middle, covered with food, fire, and metal. Natsu, and Gajeel stuffed their faces with their respected elements, while the others had delicious foods, such as bacon, croissants, cream buns, and chocolate eclairs. The room was lit up by the fireplace, surrounded by cosy chairs and sofas and coffee tables. Bright rays of the arch windows also warmed the room up. There about five levels of the room. The first three floors were supported with balconies overlooking the main room. "This place is amazing! I wonder what's up there…" Lucy wondered. "Welcome to the Fairy Tail Meeting Room." Mavis smiled, appearing in a body sized painting. "Thish plash ish aweshome!" Natsu mumbled with all the food in his mouth. "I'm glad you think so Natsu." Mavis smiled. "Uh, Mavis, if you're here, then who's out there?" Lucy asked, pointing to the entrance. "An illusionary substitute." Mavis smiled. "Now, the first the first balcony are books on everything we need to know about the Wizard World. The second balcony are records on all the students and teachers of Hogwarts, both past and present. The third floor is books on the Muggle World." Levy and Lucy smiled gleefully, knowing there were tons of new books to read. "Now please go to the fourth floor." Mavis smiled.

"Woah! What is this place?" Natsu cooed, looking around the extremely spacious room. "This is the Training Area. Here, we can practice both our magic, and this world's magic." Mavis explained through the painting. "Now let's move upstairs to the the fifth floor, and personally my favourite room." Mavis smiled. The fifth room was a glass dome, and barren. "Alright, now, say who you'd like to see." Mavis explained. "Uh ok. Show me Albus Dumbledore." Lucy called out. The dome began to mystify around the group. The next thing they know, they were standing in Albus's office, watching him work. "This room can tell you who is doing what at the moment. The bonus is that they cannot hear or see you." Mavis smiled. Albus then looked up and smiled. "Ah, the Fairy Tail students." He said warmly and stood up. "I hope you're enjoying the little hideout I have provided. I assume you're wondering how I know you're there. Well, let's just say that magic can work in mysterious ways." He explained warmly. Makarov chuckled at Albus's boldness, and knowledge. "I expect no less from the son of Percival." He smiled. "Indeed. Albus is very clever indeed." Erza smiled.

"Well, it's almost time for the school day to start. You'd better go down to the main hall and get ready." Albus smiled, before the room disappeared, and the normal glass dome came back. "Dumbledore's right. You wouldn't want to be late on your first day. Our first meeting will take place here at Seven tonight. I'll see you then." Mavis smiled, as she dismissed them all.


	9. Welcome to a New World of Magic

**Period 1**

Charms

"I can't believe Natsu and that Lucy girl are engaged." Ron paced back and forth in the classroom, Hermione, Neville, and Seamus listening in on the conversation. "Well it's not uncommon. Families with big businesses or higher up families usually did arranged marriages. But most families have dropped the tradition. Natsu's Family and Lucy's Family must be some of the few families that keep the tradition going." Neville told them, cheek resting on his palm. "Where is Natsu by the way?" Seamus asked, turning his head to Ron. "Last time we saw him he was walking with Lucy up the Tower of Stairs. Harry stayed behind to show him the way." Hermione explained, flipping her books. "But it's funny. The families that keep arranged marriages going are usually extremely wealthy and extremely well known within the Wizarding World. So why have I never heard of the Dragneel Family or the Heartfilia Family?" Ron wondered, still pacing back and forth. "I think they're hiding something." Hermione said bluntly, closing her book. "Natsu looked extremely shocked when Lucy said they were getting married. As if he heard it for the first time. But Lucy said that they were told about it since young. And I would think there would at least be a picture sent if this is their first time meeting." Everyone hummed at this story. Hermione was right. Things just didn't add up.

The door opened, and everyone zoomed their attention to the door. It was Natsu and Harry, and there by their side was Lucy. "Lucy, over here!" Padma waved smiling at her. "Woah, nice room!" Natsu smiled, as he plonked his books next to Neville and sat at his desk feet up. "So what were you guys talking about?" Natsu asked, smiling at them, as Harry took a seat next to him, and Lucy went up to greet Cho and Padma. "Natsu, can you tell us more about your family?" Hermione asked, curious to know the answer. This made Natsu nearly fall off his chair, and Lucy looked at the Gryffindors, tensed. "M-My family?" He repeated. Hermione nodded. "Yes. Your family. They own a business right, since you're engaged to the daughter of your father's business partner. What do they do?" Hermione interrogated, leaning towards Natsu. "Well, uh, my family-"

Before Natsu could say anymore, Professor Flitwick whacked Natsu's desk, causing him to flinch and comically fall of his chair. Natsu rubbed his sore head, as everyone either laughed or stared at him. "Mister Dragneel, please do not dirty my desks. Do that again, and points shall be removed." Professor Flitwick sighed as he made his way to the front of his desk. "Y-Yes sir…" Natsu groaned as he got up. " _Man, I didn't even notice him come in…"_ Natsu thought to himself as he sat back up. " _But if he didn't come in, then we could have been busted. At least this will give me time to think of a story."_ Natsu thought to himself. "Now, today, we will be learning the charm, Bluebell Flames. Now." With a flick of Professor Flitwick's wrist, jars appeared in front of each student. "What I want you to do is imagine a blue flame, then wave your wand like so." As the students watched the dancing wand, a beautiful blue flame appeared at the tip of the wand. Natsu tried to refrain from drooling as the students gasped in awe, as Professor Flitwick placed it in a jar. "Make sure you do not think the flame to strong. And remember this flame is waterproof, so be careful. Now, begin!"

Transfigurations

Gray yawned at his desk, waiting for the teacher to arrive. He looked at the clock. It was 8:55. He looked around to room for entertainment, but he could only see kids talking and laughing. "Hey Gray." Gray looked next to him, and there was Susan Bones. She smiled at him as she took the seat next to him. "Where were you during breakfast? I thought I saw you leave with Justin and the others." Susan asked him. "Oh, I just got distracted is all." Gray smiled back. "Then I got a bit lost." He admitted sheepishly. "Oh Gray…" Susan shook her head. "What?" Gray asked her, acting as if she knew something. "Hogwarts is a big school. You've got to be careful." She smiled.

The door suddenly burst open, and everyone turned and saw Draco and his posse come through the door. They looked at all the desks, but all the good spots were taken. Draco then saw Gray and Susan sitting at the front desk in the middle column. Draco then turned and summoned Gajeel to his side. "So Gajeel, tell me. Do you want to have the best education?" Draco slyly asked, his arm around the small Gajeel. "I don't really care." Gajeel sighed, clearly not giving a damn. "Well, I do. And do you see that table?" Draco pointed at the desk Susan and Gray was sitting at. "That's the best table. And I want it. So, go get it for me." Draco demanded, as he pushed Gajeel towards the two. "Why? There are so many tables around. Surely you can put up with them for just one lesson." Gajeel reasoned, confused. "You don't get it, do you Gajeel. That table is for the best students. And I am clearly the best. So, get it for me. Now." Draco commanded Gajeel. "You really shouldn't push your friend into something he doesn't want to do." Gray told Draco, as he stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked towards him. "Gray, what are you doing?!" Susan harshly whispered. "What was that? A filthy mudblood telling ME what to do? I'm Draco Malfoy. You should know about my father. One word to him, and I'll-" Gray walked past the ever so mighty Draco and took the back seat. "If you wanted the seat, you could have just asked. You don't have to resort everything to force you know." Gray replied calmly, as he leant back on his chair.

Everyone looked at Gray as if he were some sort of hero. No one had the guts to stand up to Draco like that. Draco madly marched to Gray and grabbed him by the shirt. "I don't need your consent you filthy stupid mudblood." And Draco pushed him back and walked over to the front desk. Doyle gave Susan a glare, and she quickly scuttled off and sat next to Gray. Gajeel and Crabbe sat behind Draco and Doyle, and Pansy slid next to Draco, readying themselves for the lesson.

Justin, Zacharias, and Ernie, who were sitting in front and to the left of Gray, turned towards him. "Wow! I can't believe you did that!" Justin gasped. "Did what?" Gray asked, confused. "You stood up to Draco!" Zach exclaimed, smiling with triumph. Gray tilted his head, still confused. "He's just a student here. Why should I be afraid?" Gray asked boggled by how big of a deal this was. His house members were a bit shocked that Gray didn't know about the Malfoys. "His father works for the Ministry of Magic. He can get the Ministry to watch you 24/7." Ernie explained. "Oh, so is that why everyone's afraid of him?" Gray asked, keeping an eye on Draco. "Pretty much. He says one word to his father, and you could say goodbye to Hogwarts forever." Susan explained, taking out her books. Gray kept an eye on Draco, who was looking extremely smug. "Gray, what's wrong?" Susan asked him, the face worrying her. "Oh, just thinking." He smiled, reassuring her. "You're not upset about Draco calling you a Mud-blood are you?" Justin asked, looking worried. Gray stood blank at the term for a while. "Should I be?" Gray asked finally. "He just called you a filthy wizard. Someone not worthy of magic." Susan exclaimed, wondering how Gray wasn't offended by this. "Well then. Guess he'll have another thing coming." Gray said solemnly, staring at the back of Draco's head.

"Alright everyone, settle down now!" A bubbly voice exclaimed, followed by a clap. A silver haired woman floated towards the front of the class and smiled. "For those who don't know, I am Mirajane Strauss. I will be teaching you on Tuesdays, while Professor McGonagall will teach you on Mondays. Now, let's get started!" Draco let out a concealed laugh, which sounded like a snort. "Something amusing Mister Malfoy?" Mira asked, still sweet and smiling with her eyes closed. "I do apologize Professor Strauss, but how can you be in Slytherin? You seem so…..nice." Mira smiled at Draco's compliment. "Why thank you Draco. But have you ever heard the saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover?'" Gray and Gajeel immediately gave a sharp look. If this continued, who knows what Mira and Draco could do. Gajeel slammed his hands on the desk and violently stood up, sneering at Mira. "Hey, we came here to learn, not babble. So let's start already." Mira looked at Gajeel with a stern look, then smiled that sweet smile, closing her eyes. "Enthusiastic and straight to the point. I like that. Five points for Slytherin for enthusiasm." Mira said, quite bubbly. Then she opened her smiling eyes and said with a dark voice; "But five points away from Slytherin for talking in that tone." Everyone felt a cold draft as Mira stared at them in that cold glance. "But in anycase, Mister Gajeel is correct. So let's get learning! Today, I will teach you the basics and theory of Transformation. Now, pay close attention!" Mira smiled, and began to write on the chalkboard.

 **Period 2**

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Natsu walked around the classroom, and stared at the items in the jars. There were eyeballs, snails and imps, but what caught Natsu's eye the most, were the fairies. They were sitting in a tank with air holes so they could breath. Their wings shimmered as they fluttered around the glass cage, and their dresses silver flowed as they moved. "Woah...Real life fairies…." Natsu gasped,captivated by the creatures. "Whatcha looking at?" Natsu turned around, and saw his icy rival smiling at him, bag over his shoulder. "Look at this!" Gray hummed and leaned into the glass box. "Woah! Fairies huh. I bet the First Master would love to see this." Gray smirked. "And I guess they don't have tails. At least in this world." Natsu gleefully whispered. Gajeel looked at the two smiling boys, and sighed as he put his feet on the desk. " _They see a couple of fairies, and they go all giddy."_ Gajeel looked at two exited pre-teens, then smiled to himself. " _But I'll let it slide. After all, it's not everyday you see a fairy."_

Harry looked nervously around the room. He was unsure if he should stay in the class or not. His scar was hurting last time after all. "What's wrong Potter? Too spooky for you?" Draco sneered at him, his friends laughing as if he made the funniest joke in the world. "Shut up Malfoy." Harry commanded, not wanting to take any of Draco's crap at the moment. "Aww, is da wiwwle baby scawd?" Draco asked, battering his eyes, treating Harry like a baby. The Slytherin kids, except Gajeel, began to burst out laughing, while the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor kids stood by silent. Natsu walked over to Draco, ready to give him a good scolding. But stopped himself, as Gajeel spoke up. "Hey Draco. Give the kid a break. After all, there's still lunch and dinner." Gajeel smirked, grinning mischievously. Draco smiled back, then looked at Harry again. "You're right Gajeel. I shouldn't waste my energy." And with that, Draco walked away. Gray and Natsu watched him walk away from Harry, who looked somewhat relieved. "Don't let him get to you Harry," Natsu heard Hermione, as she patted him on the back.

"R-R-Right c-c-class. N-mo more d-d-diddling." A stuttering teacher brushed through the door and in front of the class. Harry sighed some relief, as his scar was not hurting. Maybe it was just a one time thing. The Fairies took the three seats at the back, so that no one could hear them talk if the need arose. "T-t-t-today w-we wi-w-will b-be l-l-look-looking o-over I-I-Imps." Gray sighed, and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. " _This is going to be a long lesson."_ Natsu and Gajeel watched the Professor scribble on the board about imps, the diagrams, and behaviors of the creature. Natsu then blinked in realisation, that they weren't the only ones in the class. Ghastly and airy like whispers could be heard, but Natsu couldn't pinpoint the sound. Then all of a sudden, it stopped. "Gray, did you hear that?" Natsu asked, leaning over to him. "Huh? Hear what?" Gray asked, leaning up from his position. "The whispers." Natsu told him, harshly. Gray thought for a bit, then shook his head. "Nope. Didn't hear anything." Natsu then turned to Gajeel, who said the exact same thing. Despite Gajeel being a Dragon Slayer, he couldn't hear it. Natsu shook his head, ignoring the noise. It was probably his imagination.

"So c-c-class. Wh-wh-who c-c-can t-t-t-tell me, t-the d-d-d-diff-difference b-b-between a-a-an i-i-imp, a-a-and a p-p-pixie, s-s-since I j-j-just t-t-t-told y-y-y-you? Mi-mi-mister D-Dr-Dragneel, since I-I heard y-y-you t...talking, you sh-sho-should k-know the a-a-answer." Everyone turned their heads to Natsu, who looked quite embarrassed. "I, uh…" Gray and Gajeel turned their heads away from their fellow comrade, and began to snicker. "Oh, i-if y-y-you t-th-think it's s-so fu-funny, wh-why don't y-y-you t-t-tell u-u-us the a-a-a-answer?" Professor Quirrell folded his arms as he asked the undercover spies. "Sure. An imp and a pixie may look alike, but they have physical differences." Gray smirked, then gave Natsu a smug look. " _Why that little….!"_ Natsu thought, clearly seeing what Gray was doing. "An imp and a pixie may have similar personalities and traits, but an imp cannot fly and is less colourful than a pixie." Gajeel explained, that same look as Gray. Natsu zoomed his head from side to side, looking at the two, knowing they were trying to provoke him. "V-V-Very go-good. T-T-Two p-p-points for Sl-Sl-Slytherin a-a-and Hu-Hufflepuff. T-Two reduced f-f-f-from Gryffindor." Natsu's jaw dropped, with a look of 'Are-you-kidding-me?!' written all over his face. Everyone giggled at Natsu's expression, then turned back to the front after Professor Quirrell called them back. Natsu pouted as the lesson continued. He looked out the window, then at his desk. " _I wonder if the others are getting any information…"_ He wondered.

Potions

" _What the hell am I doing?! I have no idea what any of these herbs are!"_ Lucy screamed in her head. She looked back at the book, and back at her equipment and ingredients. "Remember that potions can bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses and put a stopper on death. With that said, be careful what you put into your pot, otherwise you may create a destruction worse than you can ever imagine." Snape said in his monotone voice, as he glided around the room, monitoring his students. Lucy looked around the room, to see that most of the students were already on step ten, while Lucy was still stuck on step one.

"Miss Heartfilia, why have you not started?" The oily haired professor asked. "Well, I, uh, I don't know any of these ingredients…" Lucy admitted, scratching her cheek. "I see. Well, I would have imagined you would have read the books. After all, you are in Ravenclaw." Snape said, as if mocking her. "Well, I…" Lucy couldn't think of any excuse for that. "Miss Heartfilia, if you cannot complete the potion, I will take five points off Ravenclaw." Lucy was a bit shocked to hear that. "What? But I-" Lucy began to argue, then Snape leaned over the table and gave her a snarl. "Miss Heartfilia, just because you are a…." Snape then looked around the room with his eyes, making sure that no one was looking or listening, then looked at Lucy straight in the eye. "Special student here, does not mean you have the luxury of doing as you please. You are still a student here, and as long as you are, you will be treated like every other student, have I made myself clear?" Lucy leaned back a bit, sweat dropping. "Y-Yes sir…" She stuttered. "Very good." He said, and glided off. "Oh and Miss Heartfilia." Lucy turned to Snape, who swiftly turned around. "There will be no foolish-wand waving or silly incantations in this class. Have I made myself clear?" Lucy flinched a bit. She was planning to use a spell to do the potion, but then she realised that it wasn't allowed in class. And also she didn't know such a spell yet. "Y-Yes sir…" She said, a bit creeped out by Snape.

Lucy sighed, and opened a green bottle, pouring it into the cauldron. "Alright, the next step is to add the belladonna…" Lucy looked at the jar, and smiled as she picked it up and dropped a single seed into the cauldron. " _Huh. I'm really beginning to progress! Let's see… Huh?"_ Lucy picked up the book and held it over the pot, as she zoomed in on the page, and saw something she should have read. "Please note: Crush the seed first or it will cause an-"

BOOM!

Everyone screamed and ducked for cover. A thick black cloud poofed from Lucy's cauldron, causing the once crisp awburn book, into a sooty black burnt one. Lucy slowly lowered her book, revealing her embarrassed face. Her hair was frizzy and dirty, but at least her face was clean, besides a few falling residue from her hair. "Miss Heartfilia." A gritted voice sighed from behind. "Guh!" Lucy froze on the spot, her eyes full of worry, sweating bullets. "Minus five points for not reading the instructions properly." Lucy hung her head with shame and exhaustion, her robe slipping slightly from her shoulder, blue streaks coming down from her forehead. "Yes sir…." She muttered.

Lucy had a gloomy aura around her after the practical part of the lesson was over. Once she got back to her desk, she banged her forehead on the table and let it stay there, arms droopy and back hunched. "D-Don't worry Lucy. Everyone's been there." Cho comforted, trying to cheer her roommate up. "Yeah, don't worry. We may be the smartest house, but we still make mistakes." Padma soothed, not exactly sure how to physically approach Lucy.

"How can she be in Ravenclaw? She didn't even read the instructions!" The boy in front of her teased. Lucy looked up, listening to the conversation in front of her. "Did the Sorting Hat make a mistake?" Another boy whispered to his friend. "No, the Sorting Hat is never wrong." The third boy told them. "Well then, guess she's a disgrace to Ravenclaw." And all three snickered. Lucy looked down again, then rested her chin on her forearms, staring eye to eye with the spines of the books in front of her. " _I wonder how everyone else is going…"_

Summonings

"Alright, line up! Now!" All the Second Year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs scrambled around the oval, forming a neat straight line, scared that one centimeter out of line would cause a spark of fury from the teacher. "Now listen up! I will teach you the ways of summoning items to your hands, but that isn't enough! I will also push you physically, as you will be assessed on fighting without magic. Have I made myself clear?!" Everyone moved their heads vigorously up and down. "Good. Now… GET DOWN AND GIVE ME A HUNDRED!" Everyone looked at each other in great confusement at the red haired teacher's orders. "DO IT OR I'LL REDUCE FIFTY POINTS FROM EACH OF YOU!" She growled at them, quite menacingly. The kids scrambled to the ground in a panic, not wanting fifty points or more taken off their house. "One! Two! And if I see you slacking, an extra fifty push-ups! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!"

"U-Um, Master?"

"Yes Levy dear?"

"Shouldn't we stop her?"

Makarov stared at Erza's little warm up for the students. "Twenty two! Twenty three! Twenty four!"

"We should. But she is the teacher. And if she thinks it's right, then let her teach them in her own way." Makarov explained, leaning on his rake handle. "The wise man strikes again." Levy smiled. "I'd better go. I'm getting ready for Ancient Runes with the Third Years. Learning a new language really gets my coggs cranking." Levy smiled. "You! Another fifty! And don't stop until it's done!" Levy turned her head to the scarlet teacher, and sweat dropped. "I almost feel sorry for those kids…." Levy muttered. "But, like you said. She's the teacher." She smiled, and walked from the oval into the castle. "Oh and Levy, take a little check on Wendy? She's a bit young to be teaching and I'm worried a class is a bit overwhelming for her." Levy smiled at her master's request, and nodded, as she ran off.

Healing and Support

" _Let's see…. This should be the room."_ Levy leaned on the door to listen inside the classroom. As she listened, she could hear muffled voices. She then slowly opened up the door, and took a peep inside. She looked at the Second Year Gryffindor and Slytherin students. All eager and facing towards the board. At the front stood little Wendy, happily chatting away, pointing at diagrams on the board. Charla was lying high on a pedestal, flicking her tail back and forth, a sour like expression on her face.

"Now, if you do this right, there should be a emerald glow. Like so." Wendy smiled, and let a green emerald cloud emerge from the tip of her wand. "Woah!" The class gasped. "Now watch carefully." Wendy moved the wand to a bird, with a nasty cut on its wing. Everyone leaned forward, as they witnessed the cut vanish within twenty seconds. "And there you go." Wendy smiled, as she picked up the bird, and let it fly out the window. "Alright. First, we'll try get the healing spell first. When you're ready, I'll present you with an injured animal, and see if you can heal it. Let's go."

Levy smiled, and silently closed the door. " _Seems like she's doing fine. Right now, let's see…. My classroom should be down here…. Ah! Here it is!"_ Levy smiled and opened the door. What she saw, was the most adorable classroom. It was a brightly lit room with books high to the ceiling. The board was decorated with characters and ruins. Neat little desks filled the classroom, facing the front desk. Levy pranced down the room, and took her place in front of the room. She adjusted her books and pen and quill neatly, then looked at the time. Five minutes until third period. So she sat there silently, until second period ended.


	10. Old Habits Die Hard

**Period 3**

Herbology

"Alright students, find a pot face forward please." Everyone pushed around, finding a table, then faced towards the teacher.

"For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Sprout. Now, today, we will be looking at the Bouncing Bulb. Now, this bulb is used in potions, such as the Pompion Potion, which will make your head the size of a pumpkin." Natsu zoned out, then snickered quietly to himself, imagining pouring the potion into Erza and Gray's drinks.

" _I hope we get to learn how to make that potion! Then I can get back at Gray and Erza!"_ Natsu smiled at himself.

"To restrain one, you must grab the leaves like so…. And pull!" As she pulled the root from the soil, purple eggplant shaped root bounced violently up and down in her hand, shaking off the dirt and fertilizer from its body.

"Now, this is a baby bulb. It is important that you restrain it properly. If not, it will be hard to restrain again. Now, grab your plants, and let's get started."

Harry pulled out the bulb, which immediately smacked him in the face and sent him flying down. "Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione asked, helping him back up. "Yeah, I'm fine." Harry reassured, moving his jaw around. The bulb was still in his hands, so at least that was good.

Natsu was hesitant, looking around the pot, not sure of how to exactly pull in out. "Oh look! I did it!" Natsu looked up next to him. Gray was there smiling, holding the bulb in his hand. Natsu gritted his teeth, and grabbed the leaves violently.

" _No way I'm going to be beaten by him again!"_ Natsu pulled his out with a violent tug, and there it was, over his head. "Got it!" Natsu yelled triumphantly. "Ah." As Natsu was about to celebrate, the bulb bounced hard on his face, and just like Harry, he fell back, the bulb repeatedly hitting him in the face.

"Damn it stay still!" Natsu gritted, trying to restrain the baby bulb. Gray sighed at Natsu's recklessness, then muttered that one magical word that always provoked a fight.

"Idiot."

The next thing Gray knew, was a round, hard object hitting him on the cheek, causing him to let go of his Bouncing Bulb. The class ducked and screamed, as the two plants danced around each other, knocking over vases and pots, before smashing out the window and hopping away. The class looked in disbelief out the window, as the two bulbs bounced away.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR YOU STUPID HOT HEAD?!"

Everyone jumped at the yell, and immediately turned their heads to the two new students, who were literally clashing heads.

"I don't know, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME STRIPERELLA?!"

"What was that Flame-Brain?!"

"YOU WANNA FIGHT?!" The two boys yelled in perfect unison, almost as if they've done this before.

Before anyone got hurt, the two houses immediately leaped to the scene to stop them. Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Neville held the kicking and squirming Natsu away, while Justin, Zach, and Ernie held back the punching and wriggling Gray.

"Let me at 'im!" Natsu roared furiously. " _This guy is seriously hot! I feel like I've been stranded in the desert!"_ Harry thought, beginning to sweat despite holding Natsu for five seconds.

Ernie realised his teeth was jittering, and looked at Justin and Zach. They looked like they were shivering. This guy was really cold. Literally. Everyone else either tried to help separate the two, or stand there, not knowing to help separate them or to chase after the bulbs.

"Natsu! Stop it!"

"Gray! Cut it out!"

"Incarcerous!" The squirming Natsu and Gray suddenly became tense and tight. "What the…!" Natsu yelled, having no clue what was going on. The students who were restraining the two let go of them, causing them to flop to the ground. "I can't move!" Gray gritted, trying to wriggle free.

"Everyone but Natsu and Gray, please transfer to Greenhouse Four. Do not look for the bulbs." Professor Sprout ordered them. "And please do not listen to our conversation." She told the students, quite sternly. Everyone slowly exited the greenhouse, wanting to see what would happen.

Once everyone was out, Professor Sprout turned to the two rivals.

"I don't know the relationship between you two, but this behaviour is unacceptable in my class and in this school. You two are in the most gentle houses, and we intend to keep it that way. Please do not fight like this again. For your punishments, ten points will be taken off each of you. Gray, you will clean up this room. Natsu, you will go out and get the two bulbs back. And please restrain yourself from burning them to a crisp. Off you go."

"Yes miss…." They muttered under their breath.

History of Magic

Lucy could barely keep her eyes awake. This had to be the most boring class ever. It was definitely interesting that this world has it's own history and rules and how magic came to be. But by God, this was slow and painful! She looked around the classroom when the Professor turned his back on the students. They were all asleep.

" _Are you kidding me?!"_ She mentally yelled. Gajeel, who was at the back of the classroom, was snoring away, his chair leaned back and feet on the table. Lucy banged her head repeatedly on the desk, wanting an out.

Something then moved in the corner of her eye. She lifted her head and faced the window to the greenhouses, wondering what moved. What she saw, was her pink haired friend, running around trying to grab two bouncing eggplant things, who kept repeatedly knocking him all over the place.

" _What is he doing?"_ She sweatdropped. She could see Natsu was becoming irritated. He yelled something inaudible to Lucy's ear. But Lucy could still see his actions. She saw him take a deep breath in, his cheeks and stomach expanding. Lucy's eyes widened in horror. " _That idiot! He'll get us exposed!"_ She sharply stood up and opened the window, flicking her wand out.

"Stupefy!" She yelled pointing her wand at Natsu. A blue orb zoomed down and hit him, as he suddenly flopped to the ground and went limp. As if asleep. Lucy sighed in relief, as she flopped back in her chair.

She suddenly felt that someone was watching her. She slowly looked behind her, and saw everyone was awake and looking at her. Her yell seemed to have woke everyone up. "Uhhh…" Lucy stuttered, all the eyes on her.

"Miss Heartfilia." A hoarse, wispy voice from the teacher immersed. "Please do not interrupt my class. Minus five points." Lucy tensed, as she heard growls from Ravenclaw and snickering from Slytherin.

" _Great my house hates me for losing ten points, and I'm a laughing stock…"_ Lucy cried. Gajeel just watched her, one eye opened, before going back to sleep.

Ancient Runes

"Remember not to get these two words mixed up. Just like Fred and George." Levy smiled cheekily. Fred smiled and told his teacher; "Don't worry about it. This is your first class so we'll let it slide." Levy smiled sweetly at the twins, before turning back to the board. "So to re-cap class, which two words must we not mix up?" Levy turned to face her students, who all had their hands up. "Hmmm, George?"

"Ehwaz and Eihwaz."

"Wonderful! One point for Gryffindor. And what do those two words mean? Fred?"

"Ehwaz is Partnership and Eihwaz is Defence miss."

Levy smiled once more, and clapped her hands together. "Right! Well done! Another point added to Gryffindor!"

The bell chimed strong and clear, the students swiftly stood up and walked towards the door. "Now children, we will be learning Numbers the next time we meet, and please remember tonight's homework. Have a nice day!"

Lunch

Whilst Gray was sweeping the greenhouse, his face was so tense, teeth gritting. He was clearly ticked. "Stupid Natsu, putting me on cleaning duty! If I see him again, I'm gonna make him bleed so hard and I'm gonna-!"

"Gray?" Gray jumped a bit and turned around. At the entrance, he saw Cedric. "Cedric? What are you doing here?" Gray asked, turning around as he held the broom tightly. "I overheard the First Years about last period. I thought that I should come help out." Cedric smiled as he strode past the plants towards Gray, and kneeled over to pick up the broken pot pieces.

"You don't have to." Gray reasoned, staring at Cedric. "It's fine. As an upperclassman I have to help the younger kids." Cedric smiled, placing the bits in a pile next to him. As he did so, he scoffed a smile.

"Though, I still find it boggle-worthy that you picked a fight with a Gryffindor. Usually Hufflepuff and Gryffindor are allies." Gray jerked a smile and began to sweep again. "Yeah well." Cedric laughed a bit, then stood up and dusted his hands. "Now, let's get this all cleaned up." He smiled.

"I can't believe Natsu fought like that." Harry said, still wide eyed about the events. "You're tellin' me." Ron agreed, shaking his head. "Usually Huffles and Gryffindors don't fight." He continued.

"Hey Ron, did you feel…..Hot, while you were holding Natsu back?" Harry asked, curious to why he felt a burning sensation. "Come to think of it, yeah. I was seriously sweating real bad." Ron realized. Harry felt a ping of realization. Why was Natsu immersing serious heat? Something was up. He knew it.

"By the way, where are we going?" Harry asked, walking side by side with Ron near the Greenhouses. "Well I'd imagine Natsu must be hungry by now. Lunch is nearly over." Ron explained, staring at his handkerchief, wrapping something. "Are you sure he's this way?" Harry asked, turning the corner. "I saw the bulbs going this way, so I think so." "Alright…" Harry muttered.

As they turned the corner, they heard someone yelling, just as Lucy broke between the two and kept on walking, not saying a word. "What's her problem?" Ron asked, a bit disgusted by her behavior. Harry just shrugged and kept on walking. As they kept walking, they suddenly stopped, a bit shocked at what they saw. There was Natsu, sitting cross legged. He was dripping wet, and had a few bumps and bruises.

"Bloody hell Natsu, what happened?" Ron asked. Natsu sighed and stood up stretching. "Nothing. Just the bulbs." Natsu explained. "Where are the bulbs?" Harry asked, looking around. Natsu jerked his thumb behind him, and there were the bulbs tied to huge rocks. "I'm pretty sure those rocks weren't there before…" Ron observed.

"Then why are you wet?" Harry asked, as there were no sources of water near the area. Natsu slouched and became gloomy as soon as the topic was released. "N-Nothing happened."

Natsu jolted up suddenly and sniffed the air. He could smell a roast with a fresh kind of smell. He leapt to Ron's hands in a flash and smelt the handkerchief, which caused Ron a bit of a stumble back.

"Is that…" "W-well we thought you'd be hungry, so we snagged some food for you…" Ron explained, handing the food to Natsu. "Alright!" Natsu smiled gleefully and snacked the food up. "Thank you for the food!" Natsu opened up the handkerchief, not bothering to look at the contents and stuffed it all in his face.

"Delicious!"

Lucy sat alone in the secret room. She had a feeling her housemates didn't want to see her. As she silently munched on her bread, she flipped through the records of the students in Hogwarts. Mavis flew into the empty body sized painting, wondering what was up.

"What's wrong Lucy?" She asked, worried for her. "Just had a bad day is all…." Lucy explained in between bites. "Oh come on Lucy. It's only a third of the day. Therefore I think it's too early to say it's a bad day. Things will be better." Mavis smiled.

Lucy just shrugged, and flipped to a different page.

"Looking up records already?" Mavis asked, still smiling. "Well, we're still on a mission. I need to take a look at who we might be dealing with." Lucy explained as she closed the file, and moved on to the next one.

As she opened the next file, the chime went off, indicating lunch was over. She stood up, the chair scraping with her motion. As she moved towards the door, Mavis stopped her by the simple call of her name. "Lucy." Lucy stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Don't worry. You still have us here. And I know you'll do great for the rest of the year." Mavis said with a sweet flair and a smile. Lucy stood still, as if waiting for more. When there wasn't, Lucy left for fourth period.


	11. A New Magical Subject!

**Fourth Period**

Summonings

All the First Years made their way to the Courtyard for their first Summonings lesson. Everyone was a bit nervous, as they had heard from the Second Years they were given a full body workout.

Gray and Natsu were keeping a firm distance from each other, Lucy was way behind the other students, while Gajeel, as usual, didn't give a damn. Once they all reached the Courtyard, there was the scarlet haired teacher. The four new students took a silent gulp, and stood in front of Erza Scarlet.

"Welcome all of you to your first Summoning class. In this class, I shall teach you the ways of physical combat and summoning weapons to fight. Any questions?"

Draco shot his hand up immediately. "Yes?" Erza asked, strict and composed. "What the hell is the point of all of this? As long as we have magic, we don't need to fight physically. This is entirely pointless." Draco said, with a whine and starkness in his voice.

Erza's eye became dark as she glared at Draco. Everyone flinched and gulped at this stare. Erza then sighed as she closed her eye. "Alright then Mister Malfoy. Fight me."

Everyone became shocked at what they heard. "She did not just say what I think she said!" Hermione gasped at Harry and Ron.

"Erza can't be serious!" Lucy whispered to Gray. "Well she is Erza. I think we all saw this one coming." Natsu and Gajeel grunted with a nod, agreeing with Gray.

"I...I beg your pardon?" Draco stuttered. "You heard me. Come on up and fight me." Draco looked around as he slowly approached her. "You can have the first move, since you are a student." Erza said with a smirk, taking out her wand.

Draco's face twisted in anger, then whipped out his wand. "Flipendo!" Erza let the force hit her, but instead of falling back, her feet was implanted in the ground, making her skid back. She leapt at her opponent and tackled Draco causing him to land on his back, her wand at his throat. Before he could do anything, Erza held down his wrist, causing the hand, and the wand, causing it to be immobile.

Everyone had their jaws dropped at the sight they just saw. "I have the advantage Mister Malfoy. You have no magic, and you're just seconds away from being killed. So what are you going to do from here?" Erza asked, that sly grin on her face.

Draco was completely lost for words. His lips just quivered at her dark eyes. She stood up, and extended her hand. "Now do you understand why physical combat is important?" Draco stared at her hand, then tsked as he got up by himself and patted himself down. He went back to his friends, pouting, and completely humiliated. " _Scary."_ Everyone thought.

"Uhh...Professor Scarlet, I have a question." Hermione called out, her hand in the air, a bit intimidated by her. "Yes?" Erza asked. "Why is this a separate class? Can't we just summon items with the summoning charm?" Hermione asked, extremely confused. Erza smiled, somewhat pleased.

"A very good question Miss Granger. Tell me, what does the Summoning charm do?" Erza asked the class. Cho put up her hand, to which Erza let her answer.

"It summons an object from far away." Erza nodded. "Correct. One point for Ravenclaw." Cho smiled, happy she got it right. "Now, what is the difference between the the Summoning Charm and the Summoning I'm about to teach you? Well, let me say right now. These are Summonings you can call from your own dimensions." Everyone was surprised by this. Summoning items from your own pocket dimensions?

"Awesome." Ron smiled.

"Now, let's get started." Erza waved her wand, and three columns of desks appeared behind the students, and a chalkboard behind Erza. Everyone gasped at such wonderful magic. "Take your seats." Erza ordered the class. Everyone scrambled to a seat, getting quite comfy. Once that was sorted, Erza began her lesson.

"There are three types of Summonings. First, there is the basic item Summoning." Erza held up her wand in the air. A glow came from above, and out of the blue, fell a sword. Everyone was astonished by this. Erza caught the handle, and pointed it to the ground, using it like some sort of support stick.

"With the basic summoning, you can summon hand items, such as swords, axes, spears, and whatever else you can think of." Erza threw the sword up, and it disappeared into a ripple of light.

"The second is a more advanced summoning." Erza pointed her wand forward, then closed her eyes. As her wand glowed, her whole body was taken over by a holy light. Most of the students shielded their eyes from such a light.

Once the light subsided, everyone slowly looked at their teacher again, only to be found astonished. She had completely changed. From her teacher get up, was now a beautiful purple dress, her hair in a messy bun.

"Not only can you change your dressing, but your hairstyle as well. A great asset to learn isn't it ladies?" All the girls giggled at that statement, agreeing with their teacher. Erza swiped her wand again, reverting back to her school teacher clothing.

"And the third type of Summoning is a special one. Why do I say special? Well, it's because there are certain items you must obtain. To do this summoning, you will need to find specific keys, and you must make a contract." Lucy smiled an excited smile. She knew Erza was talking about her magic. It's a shame she couldn't show her magic. At least not yet.

"With this kind of Summoning, you can summon spirits by your side to aid you in the fight. However, they themselves are living beings. Some people only see them as tools. Well, they're not. Have I made myself clear?" Everyone nodded. "Good." Erza smiled.

"We will only focus on the first two summonings. The third one is impossible due to the lack of resources." Erza smiled slyly as she asked the students to stand up. As the did, the chalk board and the desks disappeared.

The students were confused at what was going on, looking around. "Now." Everyone turned to the front, and saw Erza in a singlet and shorts with sneakers. "Let's get to the work out."

 **Dinner**

"I feel sore all over…." Ron glugged, his whole body slumped on the table. "I feel like I can't even move a muscle…" Harry sighed, trying to move his arms to eat, but just couldn't. "Who runs around a castle fifty times in a minute?" Neville gobbled out. "Apparently Miss Scarlet. And the new students." Seamus sighed. "I thought I'd feel better during the free period. I feel worse..." Ron complained.

"Hey guys!" Natsu smiled, bursting in between Ron and Harry, smiling. "Great work out huh?" He asked the sore two. "How in the bloody hell can you still stand?!" Ron asked, a bit furious. Natsu just shrugged in response and sat down between them. "You're not human." Ron groaned and went back to rest.

"I get that a lot." Natsu smiled and began to bite into the chicken.

Gray watched the teachers talking, his palm supporting his cheek. He was clearly bored. "C'mon Gray. Eat up or you'll get hungry later." Susan encouraged, noticing his stare into nothingness.

"Huh? What?" Gray shook his head, wondering what was going on. "Eat! Surely you must be starving after Professor Scarlet's work out!" Susan said, somewhat pleading. "Oh! Uhh… Y-Yeah…" Gray stuttered as he picked up the bread and began to chew.

"How can you still move? Seriously." Zach complained, his shoulders immersing pain. Gray just shrugged and kept on eating. All of a sudden he stopped, as if something was bothering him.

"I'm going to the restroom." He said, and stood up. "Are you alright Gray?" Cedric asked, tilting his head. "Yeah, just need a fresher upper. I'll see you guys later." He said, smiling and left.

"I swear that Summoning Teacher is insane! My father's going to hear about this!" Draco hissed as he furiously sliced his chicken, ignoring the fact that his muscles were burning. Crabbe and Doyle nodded in agreement, slurping their food. They were so hungry.

"You guys are so fat. Professor Scarlet will make you do twice the workout we just did." Pansy teased. Crabe and Doyle didn't care. They just kept eating. "I'm going to the bathroom." Gajeel said after some time and left without another word. "What's his deal?" Doyle sneered. "Not much of a talker is he." Pansy scoffed.

As Gajeel exited the hall, he spotted Lucy loitering around the front, debating with herself if she should go in or not. "Ya know you can't avoid them forever." Gajeel sighed, his hands placed on his hips.

"That's what Gray said as well. But I let Ravenclaw down. We lost ten points today because of me…" Lucy pouted, playing with her fingers looking down. "Hey. Look at me." Gajeel placed his hand on her head and forced her to look at him. "It's only a day. And it's not like the whole school hates you. And besides, you still have us." Gajeel ruffled her hair and walked down the hallway.

"Better get in and eat before all the good stuff is gone. Also it's six fifty, so you'd better get something before you starve to death." He teased, and turned down the hallway, out of Lucy's sight. Lucy stood there for a bit, thinking about what Gajeel had said. "I need to wash my face…." Lucy mumbled to herself, and walked to the closest bathroom.

Harry saw Lucy run across the open doorway, her white gloved hand covering the side of her face. "Hey Natsu, I have a question" Natsu looked at Harry, his mouth stuffed with meat and potatoes.

"Out of curiosity, why does Lucy where gloves?" Natsu blinked a bit before swallowing. "Not sure. She hasn't said." Natsu said before immediately going back to his meal. "So Natsu. Are you going to tell us more about your family or not?" Hermione provoked, putting down her knife and fork. Natsu froze a bit, before answering. "Uhh….right my family. Well uh see-"

Natsu flexed at the clock. It was six fifty, the teachers already heading out. "Uhh well see, I gotta go! Really tired and Happy is probably hungry by now. See you guys later!" And with that Natsu zoomed out the Great Hall.

"Why is Natsu avoiding questions about his family?" Ron wondered. Hermione stared at him, feeling that tingle of secrets within him. She knew he was probably hiding something. Something big.


	12. Investigation Begins!

**The Meeting**

"Welcome everyone to the first meeting. How was your first day?" Mavis asked, a smile on her face. "I say it went splendidly. Though I'm surprised the First Years did so poorly on their fitness…." Erza tisked.

"Erza. You made us run a hundred laps around the castle grounds without a warm up within five minutes without magic." Lucy said bluntly. "Well when I was their age, I was doing a hundred laps around Fiore, a thousand sit ups, two hundred push ups, and seven hundred bench presses. All in two minutes." Erza sighed, quite strict.

"You sound like an old lady." Natsu snickered. "What was that Natsu?" Erza said, a scary glare coming across her face. "N-Nothing ma'am!" Natsu flustered.

"Anyway, let's get started. Now, let's see. Is there any people we'd like to keep an eye on?" Mavis asked, officially starting the meeting. "Draco Malfoy." Erza immediately said. "Draco? Why him?" Mavis asked, curious to know the answer. "He just seems off…" Erza explained, folding her arms. "I agree. When we passed by him in the hall, he had that look in his eye. As if he were planning something. I don't know what it was, but I didn't like it." Charla said in a huff.

"Let's see… Draco Malfoy…." Mavis extended her hand, and a green file flew in front of her.

"Draco Malfoy.

Sex: Male.

Born June 5th, 1980.

Status: Active.

Line: Pure-Blood.

Father: Lucius Malfoy.

Mother: Narcissa Malfoy, maiden name, Black.

House: Slytherin.

Year: One.

Wand: 10 inch Hawthorn, Unicorn Hair.

Affiliation: Malfoy Family and House of Black.

That's all we have here…." Mavis sighed and closed the file. "Well that won't help us." Natsu sighed, placing his hands behind his head. "Actually, we have a bit. On his parents. If they're pure bloods, then they must have attended here." Lucy reasoned. Lucy extended her hand, and two green files flew down to greet her. "Hey, how did you do that?" Gray questioned, surprised. "I was in here earlier." Lucy explained, opening the files.

"Lucius Malfoy, Male, Active, Thirty Seven years of age, used to be in Slytherin House, now Hogwart's School Governor. Has strong ties to the Ministry of Magic." Lucy read out. "So that's why Draco threatens students and staff alike. If they defy him, he can simply make his father punish them." Lily realised.

"What about his mother?" Charla asked Lucy. "Let's see…. Thirty Six, Active, Slytherin." Lucy slammed the book shut and placed it on the table. "What, that's it?!" Charla exclaimed. "'Fraid so. Everything else is blank. See for yourself." Lucy slid the file across towards Charla. Wendy opened the file, to see that Lucy was right. "Weird…" Wendy muttered.

"But there has to be something about Draco. There's something wrong about this all…." Makarov said, his hand to his chin. "Alright then. All in favour of watching Draco." Charla, Makarov, Gray, Gajeel, and Erza raised their hands. "Alright. You five can watch Draco. Anyone else believe another is behind this.

"The Caretaker. But it's not as serious as Draco's suspicion." Erza blurted. Mavis nodded. "Right. Makarov, keep an eye on the Mister Filch." She ordered him. Makarov sighed and nodded in understandment.

"Right. Anything else?" Everyone shook their heads. "Alright. Back here at midnight tonight for our rounds. Adjourned."

 **Patrol**

 _Naaaatsssssuuuuuu…._

 _Mom! Dad! Where are you?!_

 _Naaaatsssssuuuuu…._

 _Natsu, stop!_

 _Naaaatsuuuuuuu…._

 _We have to go! It's too late!_

 _Naaatssuuu….Naaaatsssuuuu…..NAAAAATSSSSUUUUUU!_

 _NOOOOOOO_ _OOOO_ _OOO!_

Natsu jolted from his bed, panting heavily. He sighed and placed his palm against his forehead. "Man, what a dream…." He mumbled to himself.

Natsu turned to the clock he had on his bedside table, squinting his eyes. It was time.

He slowly turned to the side and stood up, his feet creaking the wooden floor. "Happy….Come on, it's time." Natsu whispered, shaking his little buddy up. "Mmmm, five more minutes…" Happy mumbled. "No, we have to go now. It's 11:50" Natsu reasoned. Happy sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Alright…"

Natsu creeped out of the room with Happy, sluggishly tailing along behind him. As Natsu went down the stairs, he looked around, making sure no one was following them. "Alright, let's get going."

"Aye…"

Natsu closed the Common Room door behind him, trying not to wake any of the paintings up. He knew they were on their side, but still, it was polite. Yeah. Him polite of anything… "Hey Natsu."

Natsu swiftly turned around, and saw Lucy there, smiling. "Lucy? What are you doing here?" Natsu asked confused. "Well, I was passing by, and I thought we could walk together…" Lucy admitted.

"How did you find our Common Room?" Happy asked. "Weren't you paying attention? Mavis gave us maps to all the Common Rooms for emergencies, remember?" Lucy scolded. "Did she?" Natsu asked innocently, tilting his head.

"Hmm…Let's just go." Lucy scolded.

The two walked in silence to the hideout. Natsu kept looking at Lucy, wondering why she looked annoyed.

"Hey guys." A cool voice greeted them. "Gray! Gajeel!" Lucy smiled. "What are you two doing together?" Natsu asked, his arms folded. "Well we both live in the lower parts of the castle. So we bumped into each other." Gajeel sighed. "I wouldn't put it as a bad thing Gajeel." Pantherlily sighed. "Never said I did." Gajeel argued back.

"Come on, let's go." Gray sighed, gesturing them to follow him, not giving a damn about this.

Everyone walked together in silence, until they reached Mavis's painting. "Well, you made it in time. That's a surprise." Erza grinned, leaning against the wall. Clearly she was waiting for them. "Come on. Everyone's already inside." Erza jabbed her thumb towards the entrance.

"Right, is everyone here?" Mavis questioned, looking around the room. "Wonderful, now, I have a surprise for you." Mavis snapped her fingers, and everyone was dressed in their old clothes, just a few sizes down. "Man, feels good to get out of those clothes." Natsu stretched, his clothes adjusting to his old clothes.

"Wait, where are our school clothes?!" Lucy gasped in horror. "Don't worry, they're back in your clothing trunks." Mavis smiled.

"Here is our route." Mavis snapped her fingers and a map of Hogwarts appeared on the table.

"Erza. You'll take the restricted areas on the North side of the castle. Wendy, the West, Levy, East, and Mira South. Natsu and Lucy, you'll take the Grand Hall to Floor Four. Gray and Gajeel. Floor Five to Floor Seven. Makarov, the basements and dungeons, while I will patrol through the paintings. Charla, Lily and Happy will scout the courtyards and roof tops. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I have one. Why can't we just use the dome on the fifth floor?" Natsu asked, not wanting to deal with the stairs. "Because if we see suspicious activity, then we can act quickly without running all over campus." Mavis explained.

"Any other questions? No? Good. Then let's get going."


	13. The Forbidden Ones

**Hey guys. Before I begin, I just like to say that I update every Saturday. Gives me time to edit and write in advance for future weeks.**

 **So yeah! Enjoy!**

Everyone was on high alert as they patrolled their respected areas. Happy, Charla, and Lily flew over the gardens and roof tops, dipping and gliding under the hood of night.

Erza keeping her extra sharp eyes on point, Mira looking in every door. Wendy glanced over a balcony onto the lower areas as Levy walked silently without fear. Mavis glided from painting to painting, being extra careful not to wake anyone up, as Makarov soldiered on through the dingy dungeons and basements.

If you asked them, nothing unusual happened. But for the students, well…. That's a different story.

 **Lucy and Natsu**

Lucy and Natsu held the map, standing outside of the Great Hall. Lucy put her weak flamed lantern at the map, squinting her eyes. "Ugh, it's still really hard to make out…." She groaned. "With a weak flame like that, it's no surprise." Natsu told her, a fist on his hip.

"Alright, let's try this. Lumos!" Lucy flicked her wrist, and a pulsing white light came from her wand. Lucy looked a bit baffled, and observed the light. "Strange….It's not supposed to do that….Nox." Lucy shoved her wand back in her pocket before addressing Natsu.

"Natsu, try Lumos." She asked him. "Why?" Natsu asked. "We both know that my flames are way more powerful than that." Natsu whined, gesturing to Lucy's wand. "Besides, that wand is way too bright. If you want to be discrate-"

"Discrete."

"Discrete, then we should use my fire. It's much faster than chanting, and I can control the light." Natsu reasoned. Lucy stood there thinking for a bit, and sighed. "Fine…" She muttered. "But can you at least use your wand?" She asked, a hand on her hip. "I like using magic without my wand. Feels more powerful."

"Well, we're not aiming for power, we're aiming for a dim light!" Lucy snapped. "Fine…." Natsu groaned. With a flick of his wand, an orange candle light illuminated from the tip. "There we go." Lucy smiled and guided Natsu's wrist to the map so she could read it.

"Let's start here, and work our way up. Let's leave the third corridor till last. I have a feeling there's something there that needs to be checked last…" Lucy muttered, looking up at the entrance to the stairwell.

 **Gajeel and Gray**

"This is the last corridor right?" Gray asked, holding his lumos spell to the fifth floor corridor. "Yep." Gajeel grunted, pushing the door open, letting Gray in first. "I still don't get why we started from the seventh floor and worked our way down." He mumbled, following Gray in. "So it would be easier to report when we're done." Gray reasoned very simply.

The two walked in silence for a bit, looking around. "So you and Juvia huh?" Gajeel smirked, trying to provoke Gray to release him from his boredom. "You know that's not true Gajeel." Gray scolded, gritting his teeth. "Geehee" Gajeel snickered, feeling successful.

"Hey, take a look here." Gray peeped through the crack of a door, revealing a big beautiful bathroom. There was a hallway of toilet cubicles and a beautiful basin display in a round room.

"Woah, fancy." Gajeel chuckled. "Where are we?" He asked. "Well, according to the map, this is the Prefect's Bathroom." Gray clarified, holding Lumos to the map.

"Looks a bit worn down. Like no one comes here, but not long enough to be worthy of dust and cobwebs." Gajeel joked. "Well in any case, let's take a look around." Gray sighed, walking into the bathroom. "Whatever." Gajeel tsked, taking out his wand and illuminating it with Lumos.

"..."

"..."

". . . _Haaaaassstiiiii….."_ Gray swung around, looking all over the place. "What the…? Hey Gajeel, did you hear that?" Gray asked, a bit panicky. "What are you talking abo-"

" _Aaaaaasssssssiiiiiiiiii….."_ Gajeel sharply looked up, and violently looked around. "Alright, heard it that time….."

" _Sssssssiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllaaaaaaa… Aaaaaaaaaasssssssnnnnnaaaaaa…. Kiiiiiiisssssssssssaaaaaa… "_

Gray and Gajeel were dancing back to back, their wands swinging around, their lights trying to find the source of the noise. " _SiiiiaaaaaaaAAAAAHH!"_

"What are you two doing here?"

Gray and Gajeel jumped back and fired iron and ice at the source of the sound, destroying everything in a dust cloud. "Will you two stop it! You're destroying the bathroom!" The same wispy voice scolded them from behind. Gajeel and Gray swiftly turned around and pointed their wands at the figure. "You're quite destructive aren't you." The figure said.

Gajeel and Gray blinked a bit, before tuning into the real world. It wasn't long until they heard water spraying everywhere. They slowly turned behind, staring at the damage they had done. Tiles and wood was everywhere, the water pipes broken creating a big watery mess. "Oh boy…. How are we going to fix this?!" Gray panicked, gesturing to the mess he and Gajeel caused.

"What's that? You heard something in the bathroom Mrs Norris? Well, let us see….."

"Great! That creepy janitor is on our tail now!" Gajeel hissed at Gray. "Uh….is there any spell that can reverse what happened?" Gray asked him, panicking. "Why you asking me that?!" Gajeel hissed at Gray, "I don't know!"

"I think I heard someone Mrs Norris….. Are there any naughty students here past their bedtime?"

"Try the spell Reparo." Gajeel and Gray snapped their attention back to the pale figure. "Like this." The figure pointed their finger and moved it in a square swirl. "Try it."

"What?!" Gray whispered harshly. "Just do it ice boy!" Gajeel gritted at him. "Uh, Reparo!" Instantly, everything began to reverse itself, until everything fitted back into place, as if nothing ever happened.

"Who is in here?"

"Hide!" Gray whispered as he ran for cover.

Filch peered his wrinkly face into the bathroom. Everything looked normal. He took a big sniff and stepped inside. He opened up all the doors and under each basin before he left. "Hmm, maybe it was that girl again….." He muttered sourly before disappearing behind the hall.

"Is he gone?" Gray asked in a muffled whisper. "Yeah. Should be safe now." Gajeel replied softly. Gray cracked his blue ice wall that camouflaged as a blue glassed window, revealing that Gray was hiding on the window sill, and Gajeel uncurled himself from the top left corner near the door, his iron boots helping him stand on the ceiling.

As the two dropped down, they sighed a sigh of relief. "Man that was close…." Gray gasped. "You know it's past your bedtime." The figure popped between them, looking at them with wide eyes.

"Gah!" They both leaped back and fell over. "You should really get back to bed. Go on. Off you go." The figure gestured. "Hang on hang on hang on! Who are you first?!" Gray yelled, pointing at the figure.

"Meow." Gray and Gajeel sharply looked at the door, and saw a cat staring at them quite sternly. "Isn't that…." Gray pointed slowly at the cat. "That's Filch's cat! We gotta go!" Gajeel hissed, running towards the door. "But what about-" When Gray turned around back to the pale human, they were gone. "Come on, let's go!" Gajeel gestured to him, before both of them ran for their lives.

 **Lucy and Natsu**

"So this is the restricted area huh?" Natsu sighed, standing in front of the forbidden door. "I wonder why." He continued. "Well, let's find out." Lucy said with determination, pushing the door open.

As the door creaked open, both of them peeked into the hall, looking left and right. "Wow, smells terrible in here." Natsu cringed, rubbing his nose. "Guess it's been awhile since this place has had some major TLC." Lucy pointed out, stepping into the hall. "Can you get a light strong light in here Natsu? You don't have to use the wand this time."

Natsu beamed up and stepped in with Lucy. "With pleasure!" He cheered triumphantly, igniting his fist. "Man that feels good!" He beamed. "Keep it down Natsu." Lucy whispered. "Oh, sorry." He realised, minimising his voice. "Come on. Let's go."

The two walked side by side in silence, Natsu kept on looking right and Lucy looking left as they both walked forward. "Hey, what's that?" Lucy pointed, stopping in the hall. Natsu continued forward and placed his ignited fists at the object. "It's a door." Natsu called back. "Yeah, I can see that, but what's behind the door?" Lucy reasoned, walking up to the door.

Natsu sniffed the door, trying to pick up any scent. "Nothing. Guess it's been awhile since this door's been open." Natsu muttered. Lucy tugged and pushed at the door with a grunt, but nothing happened. "Locked." She sighed, stepping back. "Want me to break it down?" Natsu asked her politely. "No." She said sternly. "I have a better idea." Lucy smiled, pulling out her wand.

"Alohomora!" A string of silver slickly flew into the door handle, followed by a soft click. "Done." Lucy smiled, shoving her wand back into her outfit. "Let's see what's behind here." Lucy opened the door, only to look down in horror and quickly close it again, back against the door.

"What was behind there?" Natsu asked, confused. "Put out your light and take a look yourself." Lucy panted, moving away from the door. "Alright…." Natsu put out his fist and opened the door. What he saw, was a giant three headed dog, sleeping soundly. Natsu closed the door again, the same expression as Lucy.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Natsu asked hastily, pointing to the door. "I don't know!" Lucy argued back. "You were right. This should be the last corridor checked…" Natsu sighed. "Come on, let's go inform the others." Lucy gestured to him, running down the hall.

 **Findings**

"You saw a what?!" Charla yelled, completely shocked of what she heard. "A giant three headed dog?!" Wendy gasped. "Why would a school need such a creature?" Erza pondered, somehow unphased by the information. "That sounds like a Cerberus." Mavis hummed in her painting. "A wha…?" Natsu looked at her confused. "A Cerberus. Guardian of the Gates of Hell." Lucy explained to him.

"Well maybe he's guarding something." Mira reasoned. "But what? That's the question." Erza said, in that same manner. "Should we ask Dumbledore?" Happy asked, looking at Makarov. "Hmmm…..Perhaps." He grunted.

"Guys guys! You won't believe what happened!" Gray yelled, bursting through the painting, Gajeel following behind. "Gray! What did you find?" Erza asked, a bit astounded. "That bathroom on the fifth floor is creepy as hell! There was whispers and figures, and chilling things!" Gray panicked. "Calm down will you?" Gajeel sighed, taking a seat.

"What kind of things?" Mavis asked, curious. "Like slithery words and… well…. Just that mainly…." Gray sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Right, so the two main rooms to keep an eye on will be the bathroom on the fifth floor and the whole third corridor. We will take turns patrolling the area. Is there any complaint?" Everyone shook their heads.

"Excellent." Mavis looked at the wall clock and hummed. "We'd best get moving back to our dorms. Everyone will wake up soon. If there are any emergencies, make sure you note everyone. We will meet here next week same time. Let's go."


	14. Brooms, Propositions, and a Cerberus

"Eye of Rabbit, Harp String Hum, Turn This Water into Rum!" Semus flicked his wand at the goblet in front of him and leaned over. He sighed and leaned back. "Right, Eye of Rabbit-"

"Heyo!" Natsu popped his head next to Seamus, showing a friendly smile. "For the love of-" Seamus sharply jumped up, and leaned on the table to catch is breath. "What are you trying to do?" Natsu asked, picking up the goblet looking at its contents.

Seamus grabbed the goblet aggressively and put it back down on the table, before chanting again. "He's trying to make it into Rum. He actually managed to turn it into a weak tea yesterday. But that was before-"

ZAP!

Everyone around jumped at the bright flash and flinched back. Hermione looked at the cup wide eyed, Natsu, Ron, and Harry peeping from behind their sleeves. Smoke formed from the cup, Seamus sitting there shocked and charcoaled. Everyone looked at him, a bit shocked at first, but then began to laugh. Hermione coughed and waved the smoke out of her face, finding none of this amusing. Everyone then stopped laughing as an owl's hoot echoed.

"Cor! Mail's here!" Ron smiled, looking at the illustrated ceiling. Natsu and Harry following his gaze. Natsu could hear the birds flap quickly as they flew through the open windows and swooped up and down, dropping letters, gifts, and newspapers to the students.

Natsu was captivated by the beauty of these creatures flying above his head. As he looked to his left, he sharply breathed in and ducked, as two owls were in the pathway of his head. The owls dropped a newspaper in front of Ron and a small round parcel in front of Neville.

"Whatcha got there Neville?" Natsu wondered, leaning his forearm on Seamus's shoulder. Neville looked at the parcel and played with it for a while. His curiosity finally got the better of him, and ripped off the paper.

"What is that?" Harry asked him, looking at the small clear glass ball. "I've read about these. That's a Remembrall. The ball releases red smoke if the owner forgot something." Hermione explained, as the ball released a red smoke. "But the thing is, I don't know what I've forgotten." Neville muttered, lost in thought.

"Huh. Should get one for Natsu." Gray snickered as he walked by Natsu's group. "What was that stripper boy?!" Natsu yelled at him as he walked on by. "What did you call me lava brain?!" Gray yelled back, turning sharply around to scold at Natsu. "Oh not again!" Ron sighed, getting up ready to hold Natsu back.

Before Natsu could throw a punch, a book thwacked the back of his head, his eyes popping out and bump growing. "Geez. Do you have to go overboard you stupid muscle brain?" Lucy scolded. Gray began to snicker, as if he won the battle. But then the top of his head was met with a punch from behind. "That goes the same for you." A rough voice growled at him. Gray grumbled, as he looked behind him, meeting eye to eye with the Iron Dragon. "Now try to make up and grab something to eat." Lucy commanded them, Natsu and Gray looking at each other. Natsu pouted, and muttered an apology, Gray mirroring him.

Ron sighed and sat back down, as he pulled out the newspaper. Natsu sat down next to Hermione, rubbing the back of his head. "Are you always this hot headed?" Hermione asked, a mocking tone. "Shut up…." Natsu grumbled, folding his arms.

"Hey Ron, can I look at that?" Harry asked, pointing at the paper. "Huh? Oh yeah, sure." Ron said, handing the paper to Harry.

"Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day. "But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon…." Harry looked up at his three friends and gave them a confused look. "That's the same vault Hagrid and I went to…." He said. The four of them exchanged glances of suspicion and concern about this.

After breakfast, the First Year Slytherin and Gryffindor kids made their way to a lesson that everyone was looking forward to. Well, almost everyone...

"Welcome to your first flying class. I am Madam Hooch."

"Good morning Madam Hooch." The class said in a cliched tone, as Madam Hooch wandered in between the Slytherin and Gryffindor kids. "Right." Madam Hooch turned around with a smile and rubbed her hands together. "Today we will learn the basics of flying. Any questions?"

Natsu shot up his hand in a quick manner. "Mister Dragneel?"

"Are flying brooms considered transportation?" He asked in an innocent but worried voice. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Madam Hooch had to blink a couple of times in surprise before opening her mouth. "Well, uh... seeing how flying brooms transports you from point A to point B, yes, I would consider them transportation…."

Natsu's face turned pale with fear, and began to gag a little. Gajeel had the same kind of expression.

"Right, any more questions?" Madam Hooch looked around, everyone staring blankly at her. No questions in their faces. "Right then! Let's get started! Stand to the left side of your broomstick. Now. Everyone hold your hands over your brooms, and say "Up.""

"Up! Up! Up! Up! Up!" Everyone chanted, but the brooms were extremely difficult to co-operate, refusing to fly into the student's hands. "Up!" Harry commanded, and the broom immediately flew into his hands. Hermione gave Harry a sharp and confused look, wondering how he got it the first time and the rest were still struggling.

"Up!" Ron commanded, but only the staff flicked up, which whacked him on the nose. "Ow!" Ron groaned, covering his nose. Draco pulled a snarky laugh as his broom flew up. Harry couldn't help but giggle at what happened. "Shut up Harry." Ron scould.

"Right, now that everyone's brooms are up, let's start the basics. Put one leg over and sit on the broom. Go." The rustles of the sticks and straw rustled as the kids mounted their broom sticks. Natsu carefully mounted his broom, looking quite green in the face.

"Now, I want you to slightly levitate. Just push off the ground and the broom will do the rest." Everyone gasped nervously as the broom began to levitate. Natsu whimpered nervously, his legs refusing to push up.

"Mister Dragneel, why are you not following my instructions?" Madam Hooch asked him, hands firmly on her hips. "Well uh...I…." Natsu looked behind her shoulder at Gajeel. He was off the ground, but he was shaking, trying to control the broom. He was gritting his teeth and sweating a bit, looking pale. Natsu gulped and turned his attention back to Hooch.

"I have a severe-"

"Woah! Someone help me!" Madam Hooch sharply turned around and looked around the field drastically. She looked up, and noticed that Neville had done a bit more thea levitating. He was full on flying.

"M-Mister Longbottom, you have to-" Guiding wasn't going to help. Neville was swinging left and right out of control. Soon, he began to fly high and fast, heading towards the school. Everyone watched and cringed at his hard crashes into the walls and roofs, before flying towards the class at a fast speed. Everyone leapt out of the way as Neville flew in between them, and caught his robe on a steeple, and fell hard on the ground, unaware that his Remembrall fell out of his pocket, in front of Draco Malfoy.

"Move move move!" Madam Hooch pushed everyone away to get to Neville first, everyone following behind her. Draco was the last one to get there, as he had picked up the Remembrall and hid it in his pocket.

Everyone crowded around Neville, whispering concerned sounds. "Oh dear, seems that you've broken your wrist… Let's go the the infirmary. While I'm gone, none of you better be a centimeter off the ground, or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can even say Quidditch…." Madam Hooch muttered, leading Neville to the infirmary.

The minute she left, Draco pulled out the Remembrall and tossed it up and down. "Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lubber given this a squeeze, he could've fallen on his fat ass." All the Slytherin kids, except Gajeel, laughed and giggled at Draco's comment. Natsu frowned furiously and stepped up to him. "Give it here Malfoy!" He commanded, opening his palm.

Draco snobbishly turned around, and gave him a hard no. "I think I'll put it somewhere he'll never find it." Draco sneered at him, as he mounted his broom and flew off. "Oh, you wanna go huh?!" Natsu yelled furiously, and mounted his broom. As he was about to take off, Harry held out his arm, stopping him. "Actually Natsu you might get expelled if you take it physically too far."

"What's the matter Dragneel? Too square?" Draco mocked, tossing the ball up and down. Natsu growled at him, wanting to to beat him up so bad. "Natsu, I'll take care of this." Harry said, sounding like he wanted to let off some steam. "Besides, there's your motion sickness." Gajeel reminded him, softly whispering in his ear. Natsu flinched, completely forgetting about it.

Natsu stared at Draco, wanting to get even with Draco. But he slowly let loose and dismounted his broom. As he did, Harry mounted his broom. "Harry. Potter. You are NOT going up there! You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you have no idea how to fly!" Hermione reasoned. Harry stared sternly at Hermione, before ascending to meet Draco.

"What. An idiot." Hermione sighed, watching Harry fly towards the pompous Slytherin. "Oh, so Dragneel chickened out and the worthless student decided to take his place?" Draco teased and snarled. "Draco, give it back now!" Harry commanded, as he flew fast and furious towards Draco. Draco spun upside down to dodge the oncoming broom and quickly flicked himself back up. "Sure. But first, you gotta catch it!" And with that, Draco threw the ball in the opposite direction.

Harry opened his eyes in horror and zoomed towards the ball, forgetting about Draco. He could see the ball flying towards a window, so he zoomed faster towards the ball. He flew in front of the window with not a second to spare, and held out his hand, catching it in time. What he didn't know, was that Professor McGonagall was working in the room from that same window.

She jumped in surprise and put on her glasses, looking down at the descending Harry. As Harry came down, he held the ball victoriously in his hand, all the students cheering and running towards him. Everyone hugged him and cheered for him, except Draco, who staired from the side, looking sour.

But then his sour face turned into a snarky smile, as Professor McGonagall called for Harry to follow her. Everyone silenced and stepped to the side, worried, as Harry slowly stepped forward and followed the Transfiguration Professor.

"Wait! Professor McGonagall!" McGonagall turned around, and gave a hard glare at the pink haired student, who looked at her with determined fired eyes. "Harry didn't do anything wrong! I was the one who lost my temper! If it wasn't for Harry it could have been a worse situation! If there's anyone to blame it's me! Please don't punish Harry!" Natsu pleaded with a strong face. Harry looked at Natsu, taken back by how he was willing to take the blame and possible expulsion.

Professor McGonagall looked at him, and straightened her posture. "I admire your bravery for taking the blame Mister Dragneel. That is the foundation Gryffindor is based upon. Five points added to Gryffindor. However, I still wish to see Harry. Come along Mister Potter." Everyone watched helplessly as Harry stared at his class, before turning around to follow his Transfiguration Teacher.

Professor McGonagall twisted and turned through the halls, Harry following close behind her. It wasn't long until the pair reached the DADA classroom. Harry was a bit confused. If Harry was in trouble, wouldn't he go to her office? Professor McGonagall knocked on the door, interrupting the teacher. Professor Quirrell jumped sharply at the loud thumping and looked at the door. "Professor Quirrell, may I borrow Oliver Wood please?"

"O-Oh, y-yes, o-o-of course…" Professor Quirrell nodded, slightly tightening his grip on the lizard he was holding. The summoned one stood up and greeted Professor McGonagall. He was an average looking boy. Clean cut auburn hair and brown eyes, with average height. "Oliver Wood." Professor McGonagall smiled excitedly at the boys, turning her head between the two. "I have found you a seeker!"

"You're a seeker?!" Ron gasped, following Harry through the halls. "That's incredible! First years never make it on the Quidditch Teams! You're probably the youngest player of the century! According to McGonagall."

Fred and George ran up to the boys and rubbed Harry on the head. "Welcome to the team Harry! Fred and I are the bashers. Our job is to make sure that you aren't bloodied up." George explained.

"Course, there's no guarantee."

"Rough game, Quidditch can be."

"No one's died yet, that much is true."

"Some do disappear."

"But they appear again in a month or two!" The twins sang, enjoying their little word game with a laugh, as they walked away from Harry and Ron.

Ron rolled his eyes and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't listen to them Harry. You'll be great! Not to mention, Quidditch is the best game there is." Ron reasoned to him. "And besides Harry…" Hermione ran up to the boys, poking her head between the boys, before swinging to Harry's other side. "It's in your blood." She smiled mischievously. "What do you mean "In his blood?"" Ron asked, confused at what she meant.

Hermione lead them to the trophy cabinet, and pointed to the plaque of honourable Quidditch players. "There, see?" Hermione pointed, the boys looking at the gold plate. "Harry! I never knew your dad was a seeker!" Ron exclaimed, not believing what he saw. "I never knew…" Harry whispered, shocked as well.

"I'm telling you, it's scary. She knows more about you then you do!" Ron said quite loudly, following Harry down the hall. "Yeah well who doesn't…" Harry countered turning down the hall, looking at Hermione.

"Hey Harry!" The three turned around and saw the pink haired mage run up to them with a worried look on his face. "Hey Natsu, what's up?" Harry asked, curious. "I just wanted to apologize about what happened…. You didn't get into trouble did you?" Harry asked, his voice wavering full of worry. "Quite the opposite actually! Harry made it on the Quidditch Team!" Ron yelled excitedly, gesturing to Harry. Natsu's eyes directed at Harry, then back at Ron, not moving his head.

"The Quidditch Team?" Natsu repeated, sounding confused. "I know! Bloody amazing right?! First Years never make the cut!" Ron basically yelled, his excitement slowly getting the best of him. "Right… Well, uh… Congrats Harry." Natsu smiled, offering his hand for a shake. "Thanks Natsu." Harry smiled shaking his hand.

Hermione looked at Natsu as they shook hands, suspicious of Natsu's expression towards Harry making the Quidditch Team. He seemed quite unexcited about it, which was weird, since Quidditch is the most popular sport in the Wizarding World and an Eleven Year old just got the most important position. And yet, Natsu was acting like this was nothing.

"Well I'm glad you didn't get in trouble." Natsu smiled, and clapped his hands. "Welp, I uh, gotta take care of some business. I'll see you guys back at the dorm." Natsu said in a suspicious rush and headed off. "Well, that was weird…" Hermione said suspicious, turning with the guys and headed to the Tower of Stairs.

"So Harry when do you start practising?" Ron asked as they walked up. "This weekend I believe." Harry said, his head in a daze. Suddenly the stairs jolted and swung a full ninety degrees to the left. As the stairs clicked in place, the three kids looked around. "Uh, let's go this way." Harry pointed to the door at the top of the stairs, heading up.

As the door creaked opened, the three kids wandered inside, looking at the creepy statues caked in webs and grey dust. "Does anyone feel like we shouldn't be here?" Ron asked, shaking in his boots. "We're not supposed to be here. It's the Third Corridor. It's forbidden." Hermione hissed. As Hermione finished her sentence, a bright orange fire bursted from down the hall. The three looked down, knowing someone was here. "We should go." Harry suggested sternly, the three sharply turning round. As they did, they came face to face with the grey strict cat, known as Mrs Norris. She stared at them, they stared at her, before the three of them bolted down the hallway out of fear.

"Quickly! This way!" Harry yelled, running as fast as they could to avoid Filch. "Look! The light!" Hermione pointed, the light at the end of the hallway getting further and further away from them, as if it was running away from them. Suddenly the light vanished, leaving behind a cold dark atmosphere once more. The kids turned the corner, looking around. There was no one here… But no time to think about that! They had to hide! Somewhere! Anywhere! Before they get expelled!

"Let's hide in here!" Ron pointed at a door and ran up to it, tugging. "It's locked, This is it! We're going to get expelled!" Ron whined, looking all hope. "Move over!" Hermione groaned as she pulled her wand out. "Alohomora!" Hermione chanted. The lock clicked open, the door creaking ajar. "Where'd you learn that?" Ron asked her, somewhat amazed. "Basic spells, Chapter Seven." Hermione told him, as if he should know this.

"Come on!" Harry whispered violently, going inside, Ron and Hermione following him and closing the door. Both of them leaned on the door, listening to the events outside.

"Anything here Mrs Norris?" A slimy voice muffled through the door. Ron and Hermione held their breath, not wanting to risk any sounds. "Hmm, come on girl…" Silence. The two of them let go of their breath, turning their tension to released into relaxation of not being caught.

"That was too close. But I wonder why the door was locked..." Hermione wondered as they walked towards Harry. "Maybe it was for a good reason…" Harry muttered, looking down in fear. His two remaining friends followed his gaze and looked down in fear as well. The students widened their eyes, paralyzed of what they were seeing.

It was that Cerberus, who was now stirring awake. As the three headed creature stood tall and mighty, the trio looked on at the mythical creature in shock. The dog began to growl, getting ready to pounce. As the students were about to scream, three iron clamps suddenly trapped the mouths shut. The dog began to move violently, clearly wanting the clamps off.

"We have to move!" Hermione yelled over the loud growling. But the dog had other plans. He swiped his paw at the three, all of them dodging the swinging paws. "It's too dangerous to move!" Harry yelled in a panic, dodging the beast's attacks. Suddenly the room's temperature dropped drastically, the floor turning to ice. "What the-!" Ron yelled, his breath taking a physical form.

The Cerberus skid all over the floor, trying to keep its balance. "Now!" Hermione yelled, taking the chance to run. As they slammed the door and ran down the hall, Harry could hear a soft harp could be heard, a muffled voice singing. He sharply turned around and stopped, before turning around to get the hell out of there.

"What the hell was that?! I swear this school is insane." Ron complained as they stormed through the Common Room lobby. "Did you see what was under it?" Hermione asked, wondering if the others saw what she saw. "Why would I be looking at its feet? I was kinda occupied by its' heads!" Ron said, angrily.

Hermione sighed before telling them what she saw. "It was a trap door. It's guarding something." Hermione told them. "Now, I'm going to go to bed before we go too deep into this and we get caught. Or worse. EXPELLED!" Hermione emphasized, before slamming the door in their face. "She really needs to straighten her priorities…" Ron sighed, shaking her head.

Hermione closed the door to her room and stretched as she turned around. As she did, she jumped in shock, as she saw who was sitting cross legged on her bed. "Miss Granger. I was wondering when you were about to show."

"Professor Scarlet!" Hermione gasped, wondering why she was here. "Is there something wrong?" Erza stayed silent for a while before she sighed and closed her eyes. "There is something I need to discuss with you." She simply stated. "About what?" Hermione asked, suspicious and confused.

"What you saw under the Cerberus."


	15. Troll Marks the Beginning!

"Hmm, it's so boring without Natsu or the others…." Happy muttered, his paw scrunching his feet up. He sat on the window sill placed on the balcony in the main area of the common room, staring out the window. "If Natsu were with me, he'd be sleeping in and his stomach-"

 _GROWL_

Happy jumped forward suddenly from the sound, now upside down resting on the glass. "What was that?! It sounded like Natsu's stomach!" Happy exclaimed, standing up. The next thing Happy saw was a big bulky block falling off the the main couch. "Mmm, five more minutes….." A familiar voice mumbled. "Natsu?!" Happy sprinted down the stairs, and began to shake his cheek.

"Natsu what are you doing here?! Wake up!" Happy pleaded. "Mmm, in a minute…." Natsu slurred, turning to his side. "But Natsu! It's ten already! You've missed first period!" Natsu jolted up in shock, flying his blanket and Happy forward in a shock.

"Gah!" Happy yelled, landing face first. "Oh crap! Professor Flitwick is going to kill me!" Natsu rushed upstairs to grab his uniform. As he rushed out to the balcony, he hopped to put on his pants. "I'm going to get minus a hundred points for this! Happy! Where's my- WOAH!"

As Natus tried to hop into his uniform, he tripped on his loose pants, falling down the stairs in a comedic fashion.

"Ow! Gah! Ooo! Bah!" He wailed as he kept hitting his head on the stairs. "Ow…" Natsu groaned. "Natsu! Are you alright?!" Happy exclaimed, running to his side at once. "No time for that!" Natsu yelled, flinging Happy to the side again. "Gah!" Happy yelled once again.

"Happy, where's my wand?!" Natsu furiously patted himself down searching for his wand. "Here it is!" Natsu patted his hip, as a double check that his wand was in fact there.

Natsu scuttled up and ran over to the fire place, grabbing a few mouthfuls of fire before leaving. "Right! I'm going!" Natsu yelled as he flipped his scarf around his neck, mouth full leaving a groning drooling Happy on the ground.

Natsu skidded down the hall, tripping on his side. He ran straight to the Charms Classroom and burst through the door, panting. "I'm here!" He yelled in a panting rush. He looked around, catching his breath. The classroom was empty. "What…?" He groaned. "Where is everyone?" He gasped.

"Ah, Mister Dragneel. Finally showed up did we?" A shrunken voice called from the desk. As the chair turned, there sat Professor Flitwick. Looking very…..VERY annoyed and very… VERY disappointed.

"Professor Flitwick, I-" Professor Flitwick raised his hand to silence Natsu's excuses. "Minus twenty points for missing my class. Detention this weekend for six hours. Find someone to give you notes on today's class. Go to your next class."

Natsu stood there, dissapointed a bit. He opened his mouth to say something, his index finger pointing up. But then he quickly shut his mouth, sucking his lips in and curled his finger into his fist, before leaving the classroom.

"Great, who am I gonna find to get notes off them…. Guess there's Lucy and Gray. But we're in different classes….Maybe Gajeel? Nah, he'd be hanging out with that Draco kid…. And my roommates don't seem that bright…." Natsu muttered to himself, pushing against the crowd of moving students trying to think of someone who could lend him their notes.

 _BUMP!_

"Oh sorry I-" Natsu turned around to apologize to the girl he just bumped in person who he accidently bumped into, then eradicated a big smile. "Hey Hermione! Can I talk to you for a sec?" Natsu rested his hand on her shoulder, but she only shook it off. "Hm? Hermione? What happened?" Natsu asked, worried for his friend. She replied with silence, and kept on walking.

"I think she heard you."

Natsu turned around, seeing Harry leaning into Ron's ear. Natsu squinted at Ron's face. He looked guilty of something. Lucy stood behind Ron and Harry, shocked at what she had heard. Natsu twisted his face in anger and stormed up to them. He violently grabbed Ron by the shirt and snarled at him. "Did you say something to Hermione to make her upset?!" He yelled at Ron, who was taken completely a back.

"W-What?!" Ron yelled out confused. He held his hands up in defence, not knowing why Natsu was attacking him. "Natsu! What are you doing?!" Harry yelled in confusion, trying to separate Natsu from Ron. "What did you say to Hermione?!" Natsu demanded, shaking Ron by the shirt. "Natsu! Stop it! You're attracting a crowd!" Lucy bursted through the building crowd and pushed Natsu away from Ron. "But he-!"

 _THWACK!_

"Guah!" Natsu suddenly let go of Ron's collar as Gajeel's fist pumped Natsu skull. Natsu's tongue and eyes popped out of his head, the others flinching back at what they had witnessed. As Natsu held his bumping head, his scarf tightened, as if being pulled suddenly. He felt his back skidding against the gravel as he felt his body slam against the floor. "You really are a nitwit you know that?" Gray sighed, pulling Natsu by his scarf. Natsu grabbed his scarf, and squirmed jerkeshly, trying to breath. "You need notes on the lesson today right? Because like an idiot, you missed class." Gajeel said with a no care attitude, following Gray close behind.

Lucy looked at the three boys before turning her attention to Ron. "But he's right. She's in your house right? You should treat her with a lot more respect. I thought Gryffindor was respectful. What I saw…..Was not respect." Lucy scolded, before following her guildmates.

Ron gasped a bit, shocked of what had happened. "Hey Ron! Your uniform!" Harry pointed down at the collar, Ron following his finger. Ron opened his eyes with shock and horror, as he now knew what Harry was referring to. "What in the bloody…?! When did this happen?! Bloody hell! Mum's going to kill me!" Ron cried, thinking of what his mother would say when she sees this. Ron pulled his collar forward, his clean uniform now burnt and smoldered. But not everywhere, oh no.

Only where Natsu grabbed him.

"What were you thinking Natsu?!" Erza yelled at Natsu, sitting very stubbornly in the Fairy Tail Common Room. "I saw everything on the fifth floor. Our purpose is to keep low and NOT to attract attention!" She continued, unamused by his actions. "And speaking of keeping low…"

Erza turned to the three other students and gave them a strict look. All three of them flinched back and sweatdropped at Erza's look. "W-What did we do?" Lucy stuttered, pointing to herself. "The three, no, FOUR of you nearly got us exposed on the third floor!" The three smarter students jolted in realisation in what she was talking about. "Well….uh…" Lucy sighed and rubbed her head.

"Well what were we supposed to do? They were in danger and we saved them! And we're students ourselves, so we can't exactly be seen there either, even though all restrictions were lifted from us." Gajeel reasoned, relaxed. "By releasing your true magic?!" Erza yelled, not as relaxed as Gajeel.

"Now now Erza. They were only doing what they felt was right is all." Mira smiled sweetly, holding both her hands out. "And besides. We'd probably do the same thing if we were in their positions." Levy pointed out. Erza just hummed, and folded her arms. "I suppose… But still. Natsu, you're going to have to apologize to Ron." Erza told him, hands on her hips.

"I agree with Erza. Even though you were standing up for Hermione, it was a bit over the top attacking Ron like that…" Wendy said shyly, looking up from her marking. "Alright… fine." Natsu grumbled, pouting.

"Right, you better get going. Meeting tonight. Be here on time." Erza reminded them, strictly and punctual. "Yeah yeah yeah we know." Natsu sighed, standing up to head to his next class. "Don't forget to apologise to Ron." Wendy called after him as he left the room.

Night fell on Hogwarts, the scarlet torches illuminating the castle. The four students walked into the dining hall together, looking around. "So I'll see you guys around. Natsu, apologise to Ron." Lucy reminded him again, before walking to the Ravenclaw table. "Yeah, I know…" Natsu grumbled, pretty tired of how everyone was reminding him.

Harry was chewing away, thinking about what happened in the morning. He stared at the empty seat, imagining Hermione sitting there, reading. "Where's Hermione?" He asked his friends, a bit worried about her. Neville swallowed his food and turned to Harry. "'Parantly, the other girls found her in the bathroom. She locked herself in one of the stalls, refusing to come out, crying." Neville whispered, before going back to his meal. Harry panned over to Ron with a disappointed look. Ron just shrugged and bit into his food.

A cough came behind Ron, and everyone turned around sharply, to see Natsu standing there. "Hey Ron, I-"

 _BOOM!_

Everyone sharply turned to the sudden bursting of the door. Professor Quirrell ran down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Troll! Troll from the dungeon has escaped!"

"What?!" Lucy gasped.

"Troll in the castle?!" Gray exclaimed.

"What the hell is up with this castle?!" Natsu muttered.

"First a three headed dog, and now a troll?" Gajeel grumbled in surprise.

He stopped in front of the teachers who had all stood up shocked. "Troll...in the…" Before the Professor could say anymore, he collapsed from exhaustion and fear. As soon as he hit the ground, all the students screamed and scrambled around the hall. Among the mess, Snape slid out the side door in a hurry.

"Silence!" Dumbledore called over the mess, but it didn't calm anyone down. "SILENCE!" Dumbledore roared once again, this time everyone silencing and turning to the headmaster. "All students will follow the Heads to their respective Common Rooms and will remain there until further notice. DO NOT wander out on your own."

"Master Makarov, Master Mavis, did you hear the news about the troll?" Erza telepathically asked her comrades as she ran through the halls. "Yes. I'm examining the door. It's not damaged in any way. Meaning it didn't break out. Someone let it out." Makarov stated.

"Master Mavis, what do you propose to do?" Levy asked, like Erza, running through the halls. "All students stay undercover and go with your houses. Snape is making already his way to the Third Floor to make sure no one will enter. Erza will go help him. Right now the troll is heading to the girls bathroom."

Natsu jolted and stopped in realisation. "Wait, Hermione!" He yelled out. Harry and Ron stopped, catching Natsu's words. "Oh no, Natsu's right! Hermione doesn't know about the troll! We gotta go warn her!" Ron whispered to both of them and ran to get her. "Wait, Ron!" Harry whispered after him, he and Natsu running behind him.

"Natsu?! Are you there?!" Lucy mentally replied. "Damn! We lost his connection." Gray tisked. "He better not do something rash!" Erza muttered angrily, opening the door to the Third Floor. "We'll worry about that later! Right now, we need to focus on the Troll!" Mavis commanded.

As Ron turned the corner, he felt his collar being tugged back and got pulled back behind the wall. "Hey what the-" Natsu covered Ron's mouth with his hand, signalling him to shush. As the three looked around the round corner, they saw a giant shadow sluggishly stomping to the bathrooms.

" _Hermione!"_ The three boys thought together in a worried state.

Hermione closed the stall, wiping her tears. But then she stopped, staring at green warty toes, which she swear wasn't there before. She slowly tilted her head up and widened her eyes at the sight before her. A massive green troll looking down at her. She slowly stepped back, her hands trembling for the stall door. As the troll swung his club up, Hermione entered the stall in time and ducked for cover.

 _CRASH!_

Hermione screamed in fear, the water and splinters of wood flying all over her. "Hermione!" The three boys yelled for her as they ran into the bathroom. "Help me!" She pleaded, crawling through the rubble and wood. The boys looked around, and picked up the pieces of the broken bathroom. "Hey pea brain!" Natsu called out, and the boys proceeded to throw the pieces at his head. The troll slowly turned around and focused at the boys, giving Hermione the opportunity to hide under the basins.

The troll swung back his club, and swung it full force at the boys. Hermione ducked and screamed, as the swing destroyed the basins. The three ducked as the club, just narrowly missing them. As the troll attempted to swing the club another time, Harry took the opportunity to attack the Troll. He jumped on his shoulders then tried to take control by attempting to knock him out. But unfortunately, the troll shook extremely violently, making the boys unable to counter attack.

"Woah woah woah!" Harry yelled out, his body being shaken by the violent ride. Ron and Natsu ducked and weaved as the Troll waved his arms around. Harry then jerked forward, his wand jabbing into the Troll's nose in the process. The Troll yelled out in pain, and grabbed Harry by the legs. He dragged his rider in front and dangled him by the leg.

The Troll swung his club to his head, but Harry managed to avoid it by crunching up. "Ron, Natsu! Do something!" Ron pleaded, continuing to dodge the club. "Do what?!" Natsu called out in a panic. "Anything!" Harry yelled back, doing another dodge. The boys patted their clothes, looking for their wands. " _Ah! Crap! I left my wand in the Fairy Room!"_ Natsu jolted. Ron pulled out his wand and looked at it. He then looked at the club, and had an idea.

"Swish and flick!" Hermione called out, knowing what Ron was thinking. Ron nodded at her. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron chanted. As the Troll swung down again, the club was left hanging in mid air. The green creature looked at his bare hand, and looked around the room for his precious weapon.

Ron then aligned the club with the Troll's head, and cut the spell. The club made contact with a thud, and the Troll landed face first. Hermione came out under the basins and looked at the Troll, gobsmacked at the events that took place. Harry shook his head, a bit light headed from the shaking and blood rushing to his head. He dizzily walked over to Ron and Natsu, looking at the Troll. "Thanks." He simply stated. He then slowly walked over to the Troll, and slowly reached for his wand.

As he pulled it out, a string of green-gooey snot wrapped around the tip of his wand. "Ew….Troll Bogies…" Ron gaged. Harry scrunched his face in disgust and wiped the wand on his robe and put his wand away with Ron.

"Uhh…." Natsu turned around in confusion, and stared at the Troll. The warty being slowly got up. The three other students then turned around and jerked back at the troll stirring awake. "Oh no!" Ron and Harry reached for their wands, but somehow got stuck with their clothing. Hermione patted herself down, but apparently her wand got lost in all the commotion.

The troll let out a big roar and threw a punch at Natsu. "Natsu!" The three kids yelled in fear. But in a surprise, Natsu stopped the fist with his bare hands, equalling the strength of the Troll. The three of them looked on with a surprise look, not sure how an eleven year old would have much strength within him. "Go back to sleep you oversized oaf!" Natsu commanded, as he threw his other fist up and punched the Troll in the mouth shattering its jaw. The grotesque thing flew back and caused a hole in the wall, the Troll balancing from the bathroom and the courtyard below its head.

Natsu turned around and saw the trio with open jaws. "Oh my goodness! What happened here?!" Professor McGonagall gasped as she entered the bathroom, Snape, Quirrell, and the four Fairy teachers behind her. Harry and Ron looked at each other as Natsu quietly stood where he was, and Hermione darting her looks from the boys and the teachers.

"Well, I'm waiting for an answer!" McGonagall demanded. It was then Harry noticed that Snape was bleeding from his right leg, as if he had been scratched. He quickly covered his leg, staring intensly at Harry.

"Well, Professor McGonagall, the truth is-"

"It was my fault." Hermione lied, cutting Ron off from his sentence. "Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall stuttered, looking at her confused. "I thought I could take on the Troll. I read all about them and thought I could take it down. But I was wrong. If Harry, Ron and Natsu didn't show up…. I would probably have been dead…." Hermione explained.

"Well, Miss Granger…. It was brave of you to admit it. But fifteen points will be removed for your rash decisions! As for you three…" McGonagall turned her attention to the boys and looked to them quite sternly. "I am very disappointed in you…. However, I admire your determination. Not all First Year students take on a fully grown Troll and live to tell the tale. As such… Five points awarded to you each."

The three of them looked surprised of the verdict, then erupted into a smile, Hermione joining in. "Now, off you go." McGonagall told the children, signaling them to go back to the dorms. Which they obeyed. As Hermione passed Erza, they gave each other a glance, as if suspicious of each other. Hermione was the first to break eye contact, swiftly moving her head forward to follow her friends.

"Now as for us, we must report to Professor Dumbledore. Come along." McGonagall said with a powerful tone, Snape and herself leading the way, leaving Quirrell behind. As they left, the Defense teacher looked at the Troll. Its feet then jerked up, giving the Professor a jump before scuttling out of the room.

"I can't believe you managed to knock out that Troll in one punch!" Ron exclaimed, walking through the door to their Common Room. Natsu chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his head. "Yeah well..." Natsu then looked at Hermione, who was in deep thought. "Hermione? Is something wrong?" He asked her. "It's Professor Scarlet..." She replied. "What about her?" Ron asked, turning around. "Well..." Hermione eyed Natsu, who looked at her confused. "Natsu, can you give us a second? They'll meet you back in the room." Natsu blinked a few times at Hermione's words. "O...kaaay...?" Natsu agreed, as he slowly backed off and headed for the dorms. Once the door slammed, Hermione began to talk.

"She came into my room last night and asked me questions about the trap door on the third floor..." She admitted. Ron and Harry widened their eyes in surprise. "She knew we were there?!" Ron exclaimed, Hermione putting a finger on her lip to shush him. "Did she report you? Or anything?!" Harry asked, unable to control his feelings about this. "That's the thing. She only deducted points from me." Ron and Harry looked at each other confused. "For a teacher who's extremely uptight, that's quite a light punishment for breaking one the most fundamental rules in the school..." Ron said, extremely confused. "Exactly. That's what's bothering me." Hermione confessed, pondering. "Well, what should we do?" Harry asked his friends. "We should keep an eye on her. She seems...different than the other teachers." The other boys nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's been a long night. We should go to bed. Good night guys."

"Night Hermione." They said in sync.

Harry laid in his bed, thinking of the night. Defeating a troll, and a mystery on his hands. To admit, this was quite exciting, but quite scary at the same time. Harry wondered if his whole school career was going to be like this. But little did he know... that tonight...

Was only the beginning of his fight.


	16. Reasons to Protect

**Before we begin, first...**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!**

 **Now, here's the chapter! :D**

Natsu lifted himself quietly from his bed, a creek echoing from under him. He looked around, making sure no one heard it, but everyone was fast asleep. Good. He flicked the sheets up, revealing he was already in full dress and slipped his feet into his slippers. He walked out the door and into the lobby of the Common Room where Happy was waiting.

"Let's go Happy." Natsu said, walking past him and opened the door to the hallway. "Aye sir." Happy said back, following him into the hall. Lucy wasn't the only one to greet him this time, but Gray and Gajeel as well. Lily was also there with Gajeel. They all smiled at him as he came out. "Took you long enough." Gray teased, snarking. "You shut it." Natsu growled back. Lucy giggled as she turned around, still facing the boys. "Come on. Let's go." She smiled

"So apparently tomorrow, there's a game on." Gray pointed out as they walked up the stairs, his hands supporting the back of his head. "Is that right? What game is that?" Natsu asked, sounding pretty dimwitted. "I think it was called Quidditch." Gray answered. "Quidditch?" Gajeel repeated confused.

"Oh, I've read that in a book in the Meeting Room. It's a broom sport. If I recall, it consists of seven people… Uh, three chasers, two bashers, one keeper and one seeker…...Three balls… no four…. Aaand that's all I remember…" Lucy trailed off. "Oh? I like the sound of the bashers." Gajeel chuckled. "Do you always go for the brute position?" Lily sighed. "Of course he does! He's a ruthless rough nut who loves to fight!" Happy chipped in, smiling. "What did you call me you stupid cat?!" Gajeel growled, a dark aura emitting from him as he towered over Happy.

Happy screamed in fear, and suddenly took a bowing position. "I'm sorry Gajeel! Please don't beat me up!" Happy begged, as he vigorously bowed up and down. "You know he's not that kind of person Happy…" Lily sweat dropped.

"You don't know that Lily! You should have seen Gajeel when we first met him!" Happy yelled as he stood back up and waved his arms. "He was a bloodthirsty vampire who almost killed Natsu! Luckily I was there to save him." Happy smirked as his closed eye showed a sparkle next to it, hand supporting his cheek. "That's not true and you know it!" Natsu yelled at Happy. Lucy and Gray chuckled at the events, before going on again.

"Now that everyone's here, let's cut straight to the chase. Who released the troll, and why would they?" Erza demanded, her hands on the table. "It was a distraction, simple as that." Everyone turned their attention to the front as soon as they heard her voice. "Master Mavis?" Makarov asked, quite confused.

"Think about it. A distraction that forces everyone into lockdown. No witnesses. A tactic that wouldn't make anyone sneak out to explore the castle, as a caretaker patrol wouldn't be enough. They wanted to make sure that they wouldn't encounter anyone so they wouldn't interrupt his or her plans. The plans to steal whatever the Cerberus is guarding under there." Everyone opened their eyes in shock. It all made sense.

"Erza, did anything happen while you were with Professor Snape on the Third Floor?" Lucy asked sternly as she sharply stood up. "We tried to get under the trapdoor, but the Cerberos but they didn't let us in. He attacked us resulting in Snape injuring his leg. We knew from there that the perpetrator hadn't been on the Third Floor. So we waited there until Mavis told us you three took down the troll." Erza explained as she looked at Natsu.

"Oh no! Is Snape alright?" Wendy cried, gasping. "Perhaps I should have gone with him instead…" She whispered. "He's fine. Just a scratch on the leg. He'll survive." Erza comforted her.

"Now the next question… What is under the trapdoor?" Gray asked, tapping his finger on the table. "Has anyone asked Dumbledore or check the dome?" Lucy asked, putting her hand up. Everyone suddenly froze, an "ah" escaping their lips. "Hold on, nine people, and _none_ of you bothered to ask him _OR_ check the dome?!" Lucy yelled in shock, a tick mark appearing from the back of her head. "Well then, why didn't you ask him?!" Gajeel yelled at her back. "I'm a student, I can't exactly ask him confidential stuff!" Lucy yelled back.

"W-well, to be honest I thought someone already asked Dumbledore…" Mavis muttered shyly, her index fingers pushing against each other. "And I thought someone checked the dome." Wendy admitted shyly, holding onto Charla and rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

"If you want to know, I can tell you." Everyone turned around and saw Dumbledore standing there, calm and wise as always. "Professor Dumbledore!" Mira exclaimed, surprise of the sudden visit. "I did hire you, so you have every right to know what is on the Third Corridor."

And Dumbledore began to explain.

As the words flew out of his mouth, everyone widened their eyes at what they were hearing. They couldn't believe it. "No way…." Wendy gasped. "Something like that actually exists?" Erza said in a surprise state. "I expected something extremely important in there, but nothing like this!" Levy pondered in a surprise.

Mavis looked at Dumbledore, digesting his words. "I never even…. There was a high chance that it was something valuable, but this is-! I never even considered this as a possibility!" Mavis panicked, holding her head in confusement as to how she could have missed something this big.

"I admit, for someone from a different world hearing something as conspicuous as this can be a bit to handle…" Dumbledore said in his usual tone pacing back and forth. "My father, however, told me great stories of his adventures with the Fairy Tail Guild. I know you are the only ones who can handle it." Dumbledore explained, leaning on the table.

Everyone stared at the open space around them for a bit. Suddenly Mavis looked up sharply and threw her hand out. "Erza and Mira. Stay on the Third Floor at all times! Gajeel, take the basements and dungeons! Lucy, Grand Floor to Floor Two! Natsu! Three to Five! Gray! Five to Seven! Lily! Charla! Happy! Take the skies! Wendy! North and East restricted area! Levy! South and West!" As Mavis threw the orders, everyone scrambled around to prepare for their positions.

"Don't worry Professor Dumbledore! We will protect this school. And we will make sure no one gets their hands on what's on the Third Floor." Mavis smiled at him. "Now. Let's go!"

"Aye sir!"


	17. Mysteries and Secrets

Everything was quiet throughout the castle. Mira and Erza stood by strong by the door that lead to the Cerberos. Everyone wandered around their respected areas, but everyone could agree. That whoever was pulling the strings earlier, had given up for now.

Mavis hummed as she listened to the reports of quiet activity around the school after the patrol. Eyes closed and fingers covering her mouth. "I suspected so. Because the plan with the troll failed earlier, the culprit probably knew there would have been an increase of security, so they thought it would be wise not to try anything tonight." Mavis hummed. "Master Mavis, do you have an idea who is behind all this?" Erza asked. "Well… yes and no."

"What do you mean yes and no? There's obviously someone behind it, waiting to strike." Gray pointed out, feet on the table only in his boxers. "Gray. Clothes." Charla sighed, drinking her tea, which Gray ignored as this was quite an important discussion. "Well, while looking through this world's history, I found that one particular person kept appearing in these books."

Mavis held out her hand and telepathically laid them open on specific pages. "Everywhere I look, there is a certain sentence referring to someone. However, I have not located who these books are referring to yet." Mavis explained. "And what is this description?" Levy asked. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Mavis bluntly replied. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? What is he cursed or somethin'?" Natsu asked blatantly, pinky digging in his ear.

"That I don't know. But according to all these books, they record that this particular person did terrible, terrible things. Prime suspect multiple murders, killing mainly muggle-borns and muggles affiliated with the Wizarding World. Blackmailing, jinxing, and cursing people into doing his bidding… The list goes on. It's understandable why they would not want to mention this person's name. But the thing that throws my intuition off, is that this person has been reported dead." Mavis explained.

"Who were the victims?" Wendy asked. "That I still need research on. In the meantime, you may retire for the night. I hear there's a game on tomorrow. Go on and enjoy yourselves. I will stay as usual. Good night everyone." Mavis smiled.

Draco peeped his head around the corner, observing the moving stair cases. "Why are we out here past our curfew again?" Doyle asked, keeping a lookout from behind. "I told you Doyle! Our little friend seemed to have disappeared and I wonder where he's gone…" Draco snarked.

Crabbe snickered looking out with Draco. "When we catch him, I can't wait to see the look on his face!" "Shut up Crabbe! We're not here to bring him back, but to merely observe for father…." Draco snarled. "Right. Let's go." Draco commanded as the three headed up the stairs.

"What are you three doing out of bed?"

The three Slytherins turned sharply behind them, and came eye to eye with the new teacher. "P-Professor Marvel!" The three of them exclaimed in a panic. "It's way past your curfew. I'm willing to let you off with a warning. Please return to your dorms." Wendy commanded nicely.

"Our apologies Professor Marvel. I had quite the nightmare. I just needed to stretch my legs." Draco smiled slyly, coming down the stairway, his goons following him. "With your friends?" Wendy asked innocently. "I needed to talk to someone." Draco shot back, smiling again.

"You could have talked about it in your dorm."

Draco's face slowly became irritated at her, but he kept his smile. " _You have an answer for everything don't you little miss know it all."_ He thought to himself. "I suppose. Good night Professor Marvel." He gritted subtly. "Oh Mister Malfoy? One last thing." Draco clenched his lips together, but put on his forced smile again as he turned around to face. "Yes Professor Marvel?" He gritted with a smile. "Um...If you ever need to talk to someone, I'm always here." Wendy smiled innocently.

Draco stared at her for a bit then turned sharply around without another word. "We're not really going back are we?" Doyle asked Draco in a dumb tone. "Of course not you idiot! But now I see how nice Professor Marvel is…. Maybe we can use her to our advantage…." Draco snickered, as they all turned and ran the opposite direction of their Common Room.

"You sure it was wise to let them go like that? It's a high chance that they'd disobey your instructions." Mira asked Wendy, appearing as soon as the boys left. "I agree. I'll go. You guys on ahead. I'll take care of this." Mira smiled at Erza who agreed without hesitation.

"Huh? Where's Erza going?" Natsu asked, coming down the stairs with everybody else. Mira turned to them and smiled. "MISTER MALFOY! MISTER DOYLE! MISTER CRABBE! WHY ARE YOU THREE OUT OF BED?! MY OFFICE NOW! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE QUITE THE TALK WITH ME!" The sudden force of Erza's voice made everyone's hair fly from the direction of her voice.

"How DARE you talk to me this way! My father will hear about this!"

"Do I _look_ like I care?! NOW MOVE IT!"

When the yelling stopped, everyone's hair was messy and standing in the same position when Erza was yelling. "A-Ah…." Lucy mumbled. "My goodness, what a boisterous lady!" One of the paintings complained, his head lifting from his desk and lifting his monocle.

" _Natsu..."_

" _There has to be a way! There has to be!"_

" _Natsu!"_

" _I can't lose him too! I can't!"_

" _NATSU!"_

Natsu jolted up in a sudden with a sharp gasp, his forehead hitting a flat hard surface. "Ooow!" Natsu held his head and rubbed his eyes. "Huh?" Natsu blinked a bit, and saw Ron bending over in pain, holding his forehead. Seamus and Neville were on the sides of his bed, a mixture of shock and laughter on their faces.

"Aww! Ow!" Ron groaned, leaning forward and back. "What the bloody hell is in your head?! An iron plate?! Jeez!" Ron shook his head and blinked. "What the…? Why'd you guys wake me up? Gah! It's not a school day is it?!" Natsu panicked as he zoomed out of bed and opened his closet in a hurry throwing his clothes out to find his uniform.

"No, Natsu! Calm down, it's not a school day!" Semus slightly touched Natsu's shoulder blade to stop him. "Huh? Then why we up so early?" Natsu asked, turning around. "It's the Quidditch match today. Remember? Harry's the seeker."

Natsu blinked blindly at Neville's words. "Quidditch...Seeker…." Natsu jolted up and clicked his fingers, pointing to his room mates. "Oh right that's right! You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." Natsu told them as he pulled out his uniform. "You know the way?" Ron asked, concerned. "Oh hell no, but I'll find it." Natsu smiled, thumbs up.

" _So lax!"_

The boys yelled in thought.

"It's fine Natsu, we can wait." Semus gestured kindly. "You sure?" Natsu asked them, closing his clothing trunk. "Yeah. We never said we were late. We have at least half an hour." Neville told him. "What about breakfast?" Natsu asked, slipping into the closet so he could change.

"Why are you doing in the closet Natsu?" Ron asked, bewildered of Natsu's choice of privacy. "Huh?" A muffled voice came from the inside. "Why are you in the closet?" Ron repeated, his voice muffled to Natsu's ears as Natsu pulled his shirt off. "Oh, it's uh…" Natsu paused his actions, and looked down at his right shoulder. His guild mark visible thanks to the crack of light through the door. "I just don't like changing in front of people." Natsu lied, knowing that he couldn't reveal his Fairy Tail mark.

The three stood still for a bit, until Neville broke the silence. "…. Uh, anyway, breakfast finished already. You slept through it We tried to wake you up, but….."

 _ **In Neville's mind**_

Ron, Seamus, and Neville pulled on Natsu's leg, but Natsu's hands grasped on the bed frame, snoring. "You refused to move." Neville told Natsu in the real world. "Five more minutes…." Natsu whined whimsically, unconsciously grabbing the frame.

 _ **Back in reality**_

"WHAT?!" Natsu burst, out the door and fully dressed.

Happy, who was sleeping soundly, leaped forward screaming. "Natsu! Why did you scream?! I was having a nice dream about fishies!" He yelled at Natsu. "Oh sorry Happy! I'll give you some fish to make up for it." Natsu promised. "You'd better Natsu!"

Both of them blinked and made an "uh-oh" face. They slowly turned to the three standing in front of them. All of them had eyes wide open and mouths dropped. "D-d-d-did your cat just talk?" Ron stammered, pointing to the blue kitten.

Natsu began to sweat bullets. "Well uh…"

"I-I-I heard it too…"

"Me as well!"

"Uh well see…. Happy here… is….. Uh…" Natsu sweated and stammered.

"He did didn't he?! You cat can bloody talk! How can he talk?!" Ron bursted with questions, confusement and excitement. "Yeah Natsu! Is that even a cat at all?!" Seamus asked Natsu coming onto him. "How can your cat talk Natsu?! It can't be a coincidence that we can all talk to cats! And I know I can't cause my Gran used to have fifty cats!" All of them were pressing on Natsu, who was sweat dropping. He then sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Guess I got no choice. Cat's out of the bag now…." Natsu leaned down and picked Happy up. "Guys, this is my best friend Happy. I found him in the forest and raised him with my friend. What's special about Happy is that he can talk and fly, unlike other cats."

"Really?!" Seamus exclaimed, pushing his face towards Happy. "Can you show us?" Neville asked politely. "A-Aye…" Happy mumbled, and his back glowed green, as two beautiful angel like wings folded open. "Woah! That's bloody awesome!" Ron gleamed, starstruck by this kitten. "Thank you Ron." Happy smiled. "Oh, and can you guys keep this a secret? Happy would feel overwhelmed if everyone knew he could talk." Natsu asked.

"Yep. I'm a real shy thing. If I'm swamped, then my little body would shut down!" Happy smirked with a theatrical type of body action. "Doesn't seem shy to me." Seamus chuckled, amused by the kitten's attitude. Natsu chuckled awkwardly, before admitting he just didn't want to attention drawn to him and Happy. Nevertheless, the boys agreed to keep it a secret.

"Oh no! Look at the time!" Seamus pointed at the wall clock, and everyone screamed. "Five minutes till the match! We're going to be late!" Ron cried rushing towards the door. "Sorry Happy! We have to go! We'll be back." Natsu apologised as he put Happy down and ran out the door behind his roommates.

"I'll be here!" Happy called out waving as the door closed. Once the door closed, Happy sighed relief. "That went better than I thought it would…. They reacted way calmer than I imagined…." Happy patted his back thinking.

" _I wonder how they'd react if they found out we aren't from this world…."_


	18. The Brave Lion VS The Grass Serpent

Harry shook his legs up and down, looking at the dirt under him. He was really scared. Scared that he was going to forget everything and let his team down. Not to mention this was his first game and everyone will be watching him.

" _What if I don't catch it? What if the other Seeker catches it first? What if I embarrass myself out there? What if I fall of my broom and break my neck?"_

"Potter?" Harry sharply looked up with a light gasp seeing Wood with the team behind him. "You ready? It's go time." "Huh? Oh. Yeah." Harry reached out and grabbed his broom. He followed Wood, the twins and the other players behind Harry. He could hear the distant cheers from the stadium above. This did not help his nerves at all.

At last they reached the door that lead to the playing field, Harry stopping next to Oliver. As the players scrambled to their positions, Harry looked on nervously. Oliver looked at him, knowing that look. "You scared Harry?" Harry looked at Oliver, then back to the front. "A little." He admitted. "It's alright. Felt the same way before my first game." Oliver confessed. Harry sharply turned to the Upperclassmen and asked him what happened on his first game.

"Ah, don't really remember. Got hit with a bludger two minutes in." Harry took a deep sharp breath as soon as that sentence was out. "Woke up in the hospital one week later." Oliver finished as he looked at Harry.

Harry looked very scared now. So not only could the game rely on him, but now he had to watch out for bludgers, other players, and try not to fall off, while everyone was watching him. Harry took a great gulp, and the door opened.

The sun shone brightly in his eyes, Harry trying to squint at the field. Everyone mounted their broomsticks, Oliver looking at Harry one last time. "You ready?" He smiled. Harry nodded nervously, and off they went.

The crowd cheered ferociously as the two teams zoomed freely around the playing field. The mixes of red and green capes flapped around in the air as everyone flew around in random locations.

"Wow! This is incredible!" Wendy awed in the teachers stands. "I agree. Even though our houses aren't playing, it was nice for Dumbledore to invite us into the special stands!" Levy smiled, cheering on the two teams as they flew by. "Well I must say that this looks like an interesting game. I look forward to seeing which house will be superior." Erza smiled slyly at Mira. "Likewise Erza. Just to let you know, Slytherin will show no mercy." Mira smiled, a bit of dark aura coming out of her. "Hmhmhmhm well we will see." Erza smiled back, red aura coming out of her.

Levy and Wendy slowly backed up, as they could feel the rivalry tension between the two. "Oh boy, here we go…." Levy muttered, thinking back to when they were kids.

"Hey why are you three down in the dumps? I thought you'd be excited by the game." Gajeel noticed, the slimy three pouting. "That stupid fire head professor gave us seven hours of detention with her, because YOU went missing." Draco hissed under the cheering. "What are you talking about? I was in the bathroom." Gajeel lied straightly. Draco stared at him, and gave him a snarl. "Say what you want, I know there's something fishy going on, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this!" Draco pointed at him, and turned back to the game.

Lucy stayed silently in the back of her section, reading a book about Quidditch making sure she got the rules patted down. "Oh I see! So that's how it all works! Seems interesting….." Lucy closed the book and pushed to the front to see the action. "Which house should I go for…." Lucy wondered, while everyone cheered randomly for the thrill of it. "I guess I'll just cheer." Lucy smiled, jumping up and down whooping.

Gray leaned on the banister not sure what was going on. "Aren't you excited Gray?! It's Quidditch between the most two tensed filled houses!" Susan giggled bouncing on the stands. "Well uh, I wasn't really exposed to these things much, so I don't really know…." Gray admitted awkwardly scratching his head. "Right, look." Justin wrapped his hand around Gray's neck. "Uh, let's see….I'll explain in muggle terms. You know football, dodgeball, car racing, baseball and polo?" Gray blanked out at those terms, more confused than he ever was before. "Uh….Yeah….?" Gray said in an unsure voice. "Quidditch is all that together. But flying." Gray smiled awkwardly and put his thumb up. "Oh right! I see! Thanks Justin." Justin smiled and nodded before going back to cheering. " _Well that didn't help… Maybe I should have asked Lucy or read through the guide…."_ Gray sighed awkwardly.

"Welcome everyone! To the first Hogwarts Quidditch match of the season! We are in for quite the treatment ladies and gentlemen, as the first match is Gryffindor against Slytherin!"

"Move it! Coming through!" Ron yelled as he squeezed through the cheering crowd, his other roommates behind him behind him. "Hermione!" Ron called out. "Guys! Where were you? And Natsu! Why weren't you at breakfast?" Hermione asked in that usual strict tone. "Sorry. Natsu slept in." Neville told her, shifting his head to Natsu. "Well, at least you made it in time. The match is about to start." Hermione smiled, leaning on the banisters eager to see the match to start.

Natsu looked around at the field, completely confused at what was on the field. " _What the hell is all this? I have no clue what's going on…."_ Natsu grumbled looking at the field. "You alright Natsu?" Hagrid asked, looking down at him. "Oh hey Hagrid! Haven't seen you in a while. Yeah I'm alright, just observing…." Suddenly Harry zoomed past Natsu, causing the observer to flinch back. "Woah….he's really fast…." Natsu awed. "Course he is! He's riding the Nimbus 2000!" Ron exclaimed proudly.

Harry weaved in and out of the stands, looking around the field. He did as he was told, and took a high point watching the game while waiting patiently for the Golden Snitch. Even though he had to stand by for now, at least he had a good view for his first game. He looked across him, and saw the other Seeker, staring at him intently.

"The players take their positions! Here comes Madam Hooch to release the balls for the game to begin!" Gray leaned over, noticing the case was shaking very violently. "What's in there?" He muttered. "Something alive?" Erza whispered to herself.

"Now, I want a nice clean game. From all of you." Madam Hooch strictly told them, as she knew Gryffindor and Slytherin always had bad blood between them. Everyone looked at each other, eyes boiling with revenge and tension. Madam Hooch wandered to the trunk and kicked the box open. As the case opened, the Bludgers and the Golden Snitch zoomed out of the trunk and flew randomly out flying around the field. "Woah!" Wendy gasped, watching the balls fly freely around.

"The Bludgers erupt! Followed by the Golden Snitch! Remember the Snitch is worth a hundred and fifty points. The Seeker who catches it first ends the game!" The Snitch flew around the two seekers as if taunting them playfully, before it buzzed away to the far side of the field.

Madam Hooch strided behind the case and picked up the last ball in the trunk. The fairies looked on, wondering what she was doing. She then tossed it into the air as high as she could.

"The Quaffle is released…."

As the ball was pulled back down, the players swooped down like a pack of wolves fighting over the best meat.

"And the game begins!"

Everyone watched in awe and excitement at what was happening. The players swooped in and out of the stands, the wind strongly carrying behind them. "Woah! This is AWESOME! KICK THEIR BUTTS GRYFFINDOR!" Natsu cheered. Ron had to do a double take as he swore there was fire in his throat, but he deducted it was a trick of the mind.

"I like this game!" Gajeel snickered, folding his arms as everyone else cheered. "Well so far, this is quite an exhilarating match." Erza smiled, ducking as a player flew over the teachers stands. "I must say so as well Miss Scarlet." Mira agreed, holding her hair down. Levy and Wendy screamed and ducked, scared the brooms were going to hit them.

For Lucy and Gray, they didn't know what to think or say! Everything was just flying by so fast and so energetically. Flips, dodges, speeding through the air…. They didn't know what to say but…. "This game is AWESOME!"

It was about five seconds until the first goal was scored. "And with that amazing throw by Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor earns ten points!" The commentator cheered, adding ten points to the score board. Harry clapped enthusiastically, cheering for the first goal. "Yes!" He fist pumped, before flinching back as a bluder flew past. Harry quickly grabbed on the broomstick again, in a bit of shock. " _Don't lose focus Harry!"_ He told himself.

"Wooo! Gryffindor!" Natsu cheered, with everyone. He didn't know the rules, but he didn't care unless his team was winning. "Kick Gajeel's ass!" He yelled mechanically. "I'm not playing you stupid moron!" A yell from the other side told him off. "Well it's your house so I say you are!" Natsu yelled back. Draco looked at Gajeel as if he was some mad man. No one said anything to him, so why?

"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle." Draco immediately turned to the field ignoring what happened with Gajeel, and cheered his house on, smiling and applauding. "Bletchery passes it on to Captain Marcus Flint!" Flint dodged the oncoming Gryffindors with ease, his rotten smile on his face.

Natsu looked at him as he zoomed by. He had a nasty feeling about him…. As if he were planning something. Everyone else had that same feeling as well. Erza eyed him, not trusting this player. As one of Gryffindor's players reached out for him, he unhesitantly kicked her in the stomach!

"Oh!" The crowd groaned. "Hey, what the hell?! Disqualify him!" Natsu enraged, pointing at the Slytherin Captain. Lucy gasped, hands over her mouth and Gray gritted his teeth at the Slytherin Captain. Gajeel widened his eyes a bit, but continued to clap with his house. "What on earth…?! Is this even allowed?!" Erza gasped, slightly elevating out of her seat. Wendy and Levy looked on nervously as the girl regained her balance on the broom.

As he flew to Gryffindor's goals, he swiftly dodged the Bludgers and other players. He lifted the Quaffle, and threw it towards the goal. But then Oliver zoomed up and whacked the ball back with the end of his broom with a backflip. "Yeah! Teach that guy a lesson!" Natsu cheered, both his fists in the air. "Yes!" Gray called out. "Woohoo!" Lucy cheered jumping up and down. "Yeaaaah!" Wendy leaped up, hands punching the air with Levy. Mira and Erza simply clapped.

Marcus sneered at Wood, who in return, gave him a cheeky smile.

Two chasers from each team wove in and out of the observing stands. The Gryffindor team tossed the Quaffle to and from each other to confuse the Slytherin Chasers. Soon they went for the goals. The current possessor flew behind Slytherins Goals and tossed it to Angelina, who scored another ten points for her team.

"YES!" Harry and Natsu cheered, clapping with their house. "ANOTHER ten points for Gryffindor!" "Wooo!" Lucy cheered and clapped. Even though she didn't really like sports, this one was really growing on her. Slytherin, on the other hand, was beginning to mope and worry for their team. It's as if they all were losing hope and sapping away into sore losers. Gajeel was probably the only one still trying to cheer on his house.

Soon the Quaffle was in possession of Slytherin. The possessor ducked and weaved like Marcus, but when a player once again reached out for it, he elbowed her without a second thought. "Hold on! That's against the rules!" Lucy yelled out. "Why isn't he disqualified?!" She called out, but no one heard her over her screams.

He flew towards Gryffindor's goals, and… was foiled by Oliver's capture of the ball. He threw it back out, his teammate catching it. Marcus was having none of this now. "Give me that!" He snapped, snatching the baton from the closest beater, who had no problem with it. As a Bludger flew towards Marcus, he knocked it back, hitting Oliver in the face. He went flying back with a grunt, through the hoop and crashed into the sand below him. With his work done Marcus tossed the bat back to the beater and flew off.

"Oh my gosh!" Lucy gaspped in horror. "Oh no!" Wendy cried out standing up suddenly. "Ugh…..Why isn't he disqualified?!" Gray let out in a rage. "That has to give him a disqualification!" Levy shouted. But for some reason, it didn't.

"Oliver!" The whole Gryffindor house gasped in shock and horror, leaning over the banister. Natsu was pissed now. But he had to refrain himself from his flaming rage. "Slytherin…!" He gritted. As the other three houses booed, Slytherin just pointed and laughed, with a mixture of cheering.

Now with no keeper, Slytherin started performing fancy tricks as if they won. Like jumping off their broom over the Gryffindor players, and landing back on, while shooting their goals. Harry gritted his teeth. He wanted to do something, but he couldn't otherwise he'd be disqualified.

"And with that shot, Slytherin earns ten points." Slytherin began to cheer now, now that the tables had been turned.

Marcus flew up, observing the field. "Take that side!" He gritted, to a nearby player pointing behind him. The boy nodded and dipped down to the side, while Marcus flew forward. Angelina flew straight ahead with the Quaffle, unaware that the two serpents were about to strike from the grass. Marcus pointed at her, and the two Slytherins wedged her, making her stuck between them. They then roughly guided her into the Gryffindor stands, and at the last minute pulled back, taking the Quaffle with them.

Angelina braced for impact as she disappeared behind the gold and red cloth, followed by a crash. A human sized lump could be seen rolling down the scaffolding, until Angelina appeared at the bottom unconscious. All the teachers stood up, shocked at what had happened. Harry cringed at the sight, while Natsu was beginning to have his wits end about Slytherin's tactics. "I need to get down there!" Wendy cried, having an urge to heal Oliver and Angelina. "Don't worry, their being taken to the infirmary. They'll be fine for now." Levy pointed, as the paramedics took them off the field.

Slytherin, now in possession, scored another goal by tossing the Quaffle up and batted it in with the end of the broomstick. "Yeah!" Slytherin cheered, while Gryffindor cringed at the current situation.

The score was tied up. Harry watched the out of control fiasco beneath him, watching out for the Snitch. Suddenly, a fluttering like sound came behind him, and appeared in front of Harry's face. Harry didn't waste his chance. He zoomed after the Snitch, before it could go out of his sight again. He ducked as a Bludger nearly knocked him on the head. " _Whew, that was close."_ Harry thought, looking back at the Bludger.

Suddenly, his broom went rouge on him. Shaking violently up and down on its own. Might as well been on some kind of rodeo. "Woah, woah!" Harry gasped, as the broom attempted to shake him off. "Ah, ah!" He screamed, as the broom began to do flips and spins to get him off.

The Fairies looked on guard. " _Why are they attempting to strike now?!"_ Erza thought in a concerned manner. " _Is someone controlling the broom?!"_ Gray thought, not knowing what to do. " _What do we do?!"_ Wendy mentally screamed.

"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid asked, everyone looking up in confusion. Hermione focused the binoculars on him, watching him jolt around for a bit, then focused in on Snape, who was muttering something. "It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!" Hermione whispered to Ron. "Jinxing the broom?! What do we do?!" Ron whispered violently. "I'll deal with this. Stay here." She ordered, slipping from the crowd.

Harry continued to rock side to side, up and down, before flipping over, and grasping on for dear life. Everyone watched helplessly as Slytherin laughed at the show. "Harry!" Natsu yelled up his foot on the stand. "Natsu! That's like a one hundred foot drop! Get down from there!" Ron hissed, pulling him down. "But he's in trouble!" Natsu argued, fighting back. " _Why is Natsu getting hot again?!"_ Ron thought, his hands beginning to feel steadily hotter.

Meanwhile, Hermione snuck her way around and pulled out her wand. She crawled under the stands and found Snape's cape. She took a silent breath and chanted. "Lacarnum Inflamarae." A sudden spark flew onto Snape's cape, and slowly caught on fire, unaware to Snape. Hermione hastily backed off and disappeared.

The teacher next to him jumped up and exclaimed "Fire! You're on fire!" Snape looked down, and hastily jumped up with all the teachers looking at him. Everyone stomped the fire out quickly, knocking Professor Quirrell over as well.

Harry's broom stopped and remained still again. Harry, now relieved that this was over, hoisted himself back up, and zoomed off. Everyone sighed relief, knowing that everything was fine now. Natsu especially was cooling off. "Awh, man, that was close!" He sighed.

Harry zoomed after Higgs, who was gaining on the Snitch. Harry bashed into his side, trying to gain the Snitch. Higgs, surprised by this, bashed Harry back. As the two duked it out, Harry was hit out of the field, but swooped back in behind. The two kept bashing each other, and the Snitch divided, the two Seekers following. As the ground came up fast, the two looked at each other and back again. Higgs looked at Harry, then back at the Snitch, not knowing what to do. At the very last minute he pulled himself up, and Harry continued to chase the Snitch.

Harry slowly steadied himself up, and balanced himself to the Snitch. He reached out, but stepped to forward and tumbled off the broom. "Oh!" The crowed gasped. Harry stood up, dizzy and confused, blinking and staggering. He then gagged and reached for his stomach as everyone flew past him. Hermione ran out just in time to see the end, as the teachers stood up in a worried state.

"He looks like he's gonna be sick!" Hagrid said in a deep concern, as everyone looked on. Harry then spat out a round golden sphere catching it with both hands. "He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives a hundred and fifty points for catching the Snitch!" Levy and Wendy looked at the field in surprise, then at each other smiling. Hooch blew her whistle and raised her hand.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

"YEAAAAAAH!" Natsu roared victoriously. Wendy and Levy cried in a hug cheering for the outcome, Mira and Erza also jumping up and down. Even though Mira's house didn't win, she knew Gryffindor deserved it. Lucy cried tears of joy, her big smile gleaming. Gray put his thumbs up as his friends from his house hugged him. Gajeel looked upset, but on the inside, he was happy that Gryffindor won. "No!" Draco cried out, his hands holding his head, his house kicking a fuss. Throwing their flags down and doing a toddler tantrum.

"Hold on! He got that with his mouth! That doesn't count!" Marcus argued against Hooch. "Which later ended up in his hands. I think that counts." Hooch countered with a bit of a snark.

Harry was surprised. He looked around, everyone cheering and shouting with joy. Harry held it up for the world to see. The remaining Gryffindor team members flew down and clapped for Harry. Fred and George knocked Batons, and gave him a big thumbs up and smiled.

"Go go Gryffindor! Go go Gryffindor!" Harry smiled, happy he had helped won the game.

"Harry! That was incredible!" Hermione, Ron and Natsu ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug ever. "You really taught those Slytherin jerks a lesson!" Natsu smiled. "You were bloody amazing Harry!" Ron gasped in awe. "Thanks guys." Harry gleefully smiled.

"Harry!" Lucy and Gray ran up to Harry, meeting up with Natsu, Ron and Hermione. "You were great! Congratulations!" Lucy smiled, her hands together. "Yeah man! That was thrilling!" Gray smirked, holding out his fist sideways. "Thanks Lucy, Gray." Harry grinned, bumping his fist on top and ended with a fist bump.

"Are Angelina and Wood alright?" Lucy asked, concerned. "Don't worry. They were taken to the infirmary. Wendy's treating them now." Everyone turned around, seeing Erza, Levy, and Mira walking up to them smiling. "She gives you her congratulations." Erza smiled. "You did very well Harry. Congratulations." Mira smiled shaking his hand. "Thank you Professor Strauss." He smiled.

"Well we have work to mark. Congratulations again." Levy smiled, walking off with Mira and Erza. "And I've got to go do some study. Natsu, I need to talk to you later, alright?" Lucy smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't get this the wrong way." She gritted, and kissed him on the cheek. Gray opened his eyes in surprise, taken aback a bit. "See you guys later!" She smiled and waved, and walked away with Gray.

"What the hell was that about? When did you two hook up?" Gray asked, hands behind his head, walking away from the stadium. "We're not dating. It's just complicated…" Lucy sighed, facepalming. Gray snickered "Yeah right. The way you two look at each other on the field, and everything? You two are so doing it." Gray teased. "Don't you dare turn into Happy!" Lucy snapped.

As the Natsu walked out with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a grainy voice stopped them. "Hey Potter." Everyone turned around, and saw Gajeel walking up to them. "You're Slytherin aren't you?! What do you want? Revenge?" Ron asked, edgy. "I just wanted to say congrats on winning the Quidditch Match." Gajeel said simply. "To be honest, I was secretly rooting for Gryffindor to win." Gajeel snickered, rubbing the back off his head. "Slytherin was way too rough." He admitted. Harry, Hermione and Ron were astounded by what a Slytherin had said to them. Natsu just smiled. "Welp anyway, see you guys around." Gajeel put his hand up as a goodbye and left the stadium.

"Well that was really weird…" Ron grumbled. "Nah! Even though he's in Slytherin he seems like a nice guy." Natsu smiled. "Anyway, don't mind me. Just thinking outloud." Natsu smiled. He then turned slightly around, as if hearing something from behind. "Anyway, I'll see you guys around!" Natsu smiled, running out.

The three of them tilted their heads, wondering why Natsu bolted all of a sudden.

"Harry! There you are!" Everyone turned around and saw Hagrid, hobbling towards them. "Hagrid!" Everyone smiled. "Harry! Incredible! I could never be prouder!" Hagrid beemed, shaking Harry's hand up and down with both of his gigantic hands. "Thanks Hagrid!" Harry beamed, his voice vibrating a bit from the shake. "Though what was wrong with your broom?" Everyone looked at Hagrid, then rubbed their heads.

"We have a theory."


	19. Flamel, Fairies, and Food

"Now that's ridiculous. Why would Snape jinx Harry's broom?" Hagrid asked, walking to his hut with the three First Year Gryffindors. "Don't know. Why do you have a three headed dog on the third floor?" Hagrid jolted his head to the side, suspicious of Harry's knowledge. "Who told you about Fluffy?" He asked. "Fluffy?" Ron repeated, utterly confused. "That thing has a name?" Hermione asked, in a jaw dropped manner. "Course he's got a name, he's mine. Bought him off an Irish fella I met down at the pub last year. Dumbledore asked me if he could guard the-" The three students turned their heads to Hagrid. Now they knew that thing was hiding something.

"Yes?" Harry asked, eager to know the truth. "Ah, shouldn't have said that….No more questions! Don't ask anything else! Top secret that is." Hagrid somewhat scolded, picking up his pace a bit. "But Hagrid! Whatever's under there, Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry argued. "Bah, cogwash!" Hagrid stopped in his tracks to face the children. "Professor Snape is a Hogwarts Teacher!" He told them, trying to get them off this mumbo jumbo nonsense.

"Hogwarts Teacher or not, I know a spell when I see one. I read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking!" Hermione rebutted. Harry nodded and looked at Hagrid. "Exactly." He simply said. Hagrid sighed and looked at the trio. "Now you listen to me, all three of you. You're meddin' in things that aren't supposed to be meddled in! It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore, the Fairies, and Nicholas Flamel!" He strictly told them.

The three students looked at each other, confused at his words. "Nicolas Flamel? The Fairies?" Harry repeated. Hagrid slowly realised what he had just said, and began to walk away. "I shouldn't have said that….I should not have said that…." He mumbled, walking away. Harry looked on at Hagrid as he walked on.

"Nicholas Flamel… who is he?" Harry asked to the more experienced wizards. "I-I don't know….." Hermione whispered and shook her head. Harry looked at Ron, who simply shrugged. "And what about Fairies?" Harry asked.

"Here we are." Hermione slammed down a book she took from the library shelf and sat down. "According to Muggle Folklore, Fairies are known for granting wishes and extreme beauty. Though in reality, Fairies do not have enough magic power to grant wishes, and are mainly used as decorations." Hermione read out, Ron sitting next to her and Harry on the other side.

"Can we talk to them? See what they know?" Ron asked, shifting his attention to Hermione. "Unfortunately not. Fairies only communicate with high frequencies and the sound of their wings." Hermione told them, her finger following the lines of the page. "So much for that plan…" Harry sighed. "And what about Flamel?" Hermione stayed silent, then shook her head. "There's nothing. Couldn't find anything." She sighed shaking her head. The bell chimed, indicating dinner was ready. "Welp. We'd better get going." Ron sighed, standing up and stretching.

Natsu walked into the hall, hands supporting his head. He had just came back from a meeting about the little episode on the Quidditch field. " _Snape could've used the spell because the broom was bugged somehow. No way he'd do that for no reason. I mean he-"_

"NATSU!"

Everyone crowded around him as he walked in, all of them enthusiastic and excited. "Wh-What is it? What's going on?" Natsu asked, his mouth twitching in a awkward smiling position as he stepped back a bit. "Why is everyone gathering around Natsu?" Gray asked, his Fairy Tail comrades with him. "No way he became this popular in a few hours." Lucy muttered, holding her satchel on her shoulder. "In fact, Salamander popular at all? I don't think so." Gajeel smirked.

"Is it true?!" A boy asked him, hyper with excitement. "W-What is?" Natsu asked the student. "Is it true your cat can talk and fly?!" A girl student squealed. "Ah…" Natsu froze, his friends behind him freezing as well. Natsu snapped his attention to Neville and Seamus who looked at each other. "Sorry Natsu….It kind of….slipped…." Neville admitted sheepishly. " _Why you little….!"_ Natsu gritted, his hand in a shaking fist.

Draco snarled at the rising attention of Natsu. "How did he become popular within a few hours? Stupid Gryffindors!" Draco slammed his fist on the table, hating Gryffindor more than ever. "Hey Draco. I see him hang out with that Gray guy. Maybe we could pull a few pranks?" Crabbe whispered, smiling mischievously. Draco hummed and held his chin. "Yeah…. I like that…. Messing with a Gryffindor, and a Mud-Blood." Draco snickered, plotting a diabolical scheme.

"So is it true?!" Everyone asked, like squawking parrots. "Uh, I uh…"

 _BANG!_

Everyone jumped and looked at the door, and saw Erza standing there, furious. "Everyone…..Sit back down. Now." She growled. Everyone hastily scrambled to their house tables. Natsu sighed some relief, until a grab on his collar pulled him away. "Gack! Erza….Choking…..Me!" Natsu gaged. Everyone watched Erza drag Natsu away, sweat dropping as they turned the corner.

"Ow!" Natsu rubbed his throbbing head where Erza hit him. "What was that for?!" Natsu yelled at her. "How do they know about Happy?!" She demanded. "He just slipped a few words! It was only in front of Ron, Seamus, and Neville! They said that they'd keep it a secret!" Natsu yelled at her. "And you believed that?!" She rebutted. "Actually, it's quite fortunate that they know about Happy."

"Master Mavis!" Mavis flew gracefully into the canvas, smiling. "At least now if something happens, we can rely on Happy if an emergency happens." She explained calmly. Erza looked up thinking. "Hmm…. never thought about it that way… I guess that's true. Alright Natsu, I'll let it go for now. But nothing else had better slip!" Erza pointed at Natsu with a serious look and walked to the the Grand Hall.

Natsu groaned and stood up. "Natsu? What are you doing here? Are you alright?" Natsu looked to the side seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione coming down the stairs. "Hey guys…..I'm fine…." He smiled, looking at them. "Well, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat!" Ron gleefully rubbed his hands together.

"Gray! Over here!" Justin waved over, grabbing his attention. Draco looked across the hall, seeing Gray walking by. "Stupid mud-blood. I was willing to ignore you from your stupid presence in class... But being friends with that stupid Gryffindor has sealed your fate." Draco picked up a handful of mash and stood up to throw it. As he threw it, the mash narrowly avoided Gray, and hit Natsu instead as he walked by.

"Gah!" Everyone sharply gasped and turned to Natsu not sure how to react. Natsu looked around, before pointing at Gray as the culprit. "Gray! What the hell?!" Natsu growled, his fist shaking and mash dripping down his forehead. "Huh? What?" He growled. "Grrr….You'll pay for that you damn stripper!" Natsu grabbed a tomato and threw it at him. But Gray narrowly dodged, the tomato flying straight into Gajeel's back of his head.

"Who threw that?!" Gajeel roared, shooting up from his seat, grasping a bone in his hand. Natsu began to snicker and bursted out laughing. "Damn you you stupid hot head!" Gajeel threw the bone at his chin. "Oh you wanna go?!" He yelled at Gajeel, rolling up his sleeves.

"What was that about saying he's a nice guy?" Hermione muttered.

Natsu then threw a piece of buttered bread and threw it at him. But he somehow missed, and it landed right on Lucy's head. "Guah!" She groaned, the butter dripping through her silky hair.

…...

"FOOD FIGHT!" The twins yelled at each other, before smothering each other with oily pastries and drinks.

Everyone began screaming and laughing, running around picking up random foods and throwing it around. "This is for Slytherin!" Someone yelled, throwing food at Harry. Harry groaned and wiped the food off his face. He then grabbed the closest thing and threw it at his assailant. "Hey Ron!" Ron looked behind him, as his brothers poured gravy and sauces over him. "What in the bloody hell! Oh you're going to pay for that!" Ron growled and splashed butterbeer in their faces.

Hermione looked all over, dodging flying foods in the process. Until she got knocked over by Natsu. "Gray! You bastaaaaaard!" He growled crawling then sprinting forward to him. Lucy sat still sighing. She was just so used to this at the guild that she really didn't care any more.

"Oh my goodness!" Mira laughed. "This is really similar to what happens at the guild huh?" Wendy smiled. "Kinda feels like we never left." Levy chuckled. Erza simply ignored all the commotion and continued to eat and drink.

"Eat chicken stripper boy!"

"As if flame brain!"

"Don't throw it at me ice boy!"

Gajeel threw the chicken up, heading towards the teachers table.

 _SPLAT!_

Erza looked down and squealed as her whole body turned white. "My strawberry cake….." All the Fairies flinched and slowly backed away, feeling her rage rising.

"Children! Stop it now! This behaviour is unacceptable!" Professor McGonagall commanded, but no achievement as it was too rowdy. She then ducked from a flying steak. "Professor Dumbledore!" McGonagall pleaded trying to stop this madness. "Please-"

" **STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"**

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Erza. She was even scarier than when Dumbledore got angry. Everyone stood there, gulping, not daring to breath. Her glowing red eyes shot over all over the room. Everyone felt a little shiver as she glared at them all. "All of you. Sit. NOW!" She growled. Everyone scuttled to their tables and looked down at their feet.

Erza sat back down. "Professor Dumbledore, any words?" She asked him, her arms folded. "Yes indeed." He said simply standing up and taking the podium. "Never as my years as headmaster, have I witnessed such a ruckus to this scale. I am very shocked and very disappointed that the Students of this Prestigious School of Magic has resorted to such childish actions." Everyone looked down, ashamed of what got to them.

"Which is why I will let tonight slide." Everyone looked at Dumbledore confused at what he meant. "It is such a tragedy that many have lost their innocence as a child. I myself have forgotten what it was like. Looking at your smiling faces reminded me that you are all still children. Tonight you all had fun. That's what matters most."

Everyone looked around surprised and confused at what Professor Dumbledore was saying. "However, some sort of punishment has to be in order. Twenty points will be reduced from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Twenty-five from Slytherin. That is all." Dumbledore said strongly. "Hold on, why do we get more points deducted than them?" Draco sneered, pointing at the other houses. "Because you started the fight, Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore explained calmly.

Dumbledore then clapped, and the Grand Hall cleaned right up, along the students' uniforms. Everyone patted themselves down and sighed relief. At least they didn't need to buy a spare uniform. "But I do not want another incident like this again." Dumbledore made very clear, before sitting back down. "Now, let us enjoy the marvelous day we will cherish in our hearts and souls." Dumbledore smiled.

A few hours passed. Ron, Harry, Seamus, Neville and Natsu flopped on their beds, laughing at the day that happened. First Gryffindor won the Quidditch Match, then they had an epic time at dinner with the food fight.

"That was so much fun!" Seamus grinned sitting up from his bed. "I know! I've never had a food fight before! Have you guys?" Neville asked, looking at Harry, Ron, and Natsu flopping on his belly. "Nah. Mum hates it when we make a mess of the house. What about you Harry?" Ron asked sitting up grabbing his pillow. "No. I usually cooked the food. In fact, I was often doing chores, so I never grew up to having fun." Harry told them. "What about you Natsu?" Harry asked, looking at the undercover spy.

"Oh yeah! All the time!" He grinned. "Really?" Neville gasped, leaning up. Natsu nodded happily. "Yeah! We always got into fights. Gramps always scolded us. In fact we nearly destroyed the place a couple of times." Natsu chuckled. "What?!" His roommates gasped.

"Yeah, we always had fights like that no joke." Gray smiled at his roommates. "Wouldn't your parents killed you for that?" Ernie asked, sitting down on his bed after getting changed into his pajamas. "My parents would have." Zach chuckled, Justin agreeing as well.

"Yeah, I always thought it was fun! I even forgot what that felt like…. I guess I'm kind of thankful that mash flew into that hot head's face!" Gajeel snickered. "Were you punished for your actions?" Crabbe asked, leaning forward along with Doyle. Draco just stayed silent, listening to Gajeel's memories, waiting to hear something he could report to his father.

"The main participants were of course. I always hid while the others duked it out. So I wasn't punished." Lucy laughed awkwardly rubbing her head. "They sound so much fun your family." Cho smiled. "My family never let me do any of these things." Padma giggled.

"Yeah. It's been awhile since I've seen them…" Natsu smiled, before looking down thinking.

"I wonder how they're all going." Gray muttered, looking up.

"I really miss those numbskulls sometimes…" Gajeel sighed, flopping down on his bed, hands behind his head.

"I feel guilty because I left them behind without a proper goodbye…." Lucy confessed, hugging in her legs.

"Don't worry Natsu." Ron smiled. "You'll see them during Christmas Break." Justin comforted, patting Gray's back. "But then again, you're family sounds savage. Might want to stay here." Draco teased with a bit of laughter. "If not you can also write them a letter." Cho suggested.

The four spies moved into deep thought. They thought of their friends back in Fairy Tail. Smiling, laughing, and all the adventures they had. And now they had disappeared on them again, without a single trace. It was then that they all made a solid promise to their friends who were probably waiting for them to return.

" _We'll be back soon everyone. We won't let you down again. Promise."_


	20. A Christmas Fairy Tail

Half a year went by since the fairies were transported to Earth. Lucy looked out the window on the fourth floor of the Secret Room, watching the soft white snow fall, the cold atmosphere slowly crisping the glass on the window. Lucy watched Hagrid pull in a tree into the castle, the leaves and branches dragging a path in the snow. Now that she thought about it, it would be Christmas as well back in Earthland.

"Miss Heartfillia, break time's over." A gentle voice politely told her. Lucy continued to stare out the window, sighing. "Hey Capricorn?" Capricorn looked up, curious to what Lucy wanted to ask. "Loke can open gates at will right? Can he go to Fairy Tail and-"

"I'm afraid not Miss Heartfillia." Capricorn cut her off. Lucy looked at him confused. "You seem to forget that we can open the gates on our own from a certain distance away from the keys. Anywhere further than that we cannot open the gates. So opening our gates to a different world is out of the question. I'm sorry Miss Heartfillia." Capricorn bowed.

Lucy could feel her spirits plummet. She looked at the ground, and clenched her fists that were resting on her lap. "It's been six months here… Even our biggest battles lasted for a whole day. And even then the whole guild was with us fighting. I just hope that they're doing alright without us there…."

Capricorn stayed silent for a bit before he spoke. "Miss Heartfillia. Did you forget what the employer had promised? Once you return, it will be like you never left at all. Time stands still for those of Earthland. Or at least, time will be wound back. There is no need for worry. I have faith that they are alright." Capricorn assured her, bowing and smiling.

Lucy nodded, but still did not smile. She stood up straight and walked towards Capricorn. "Any news on Aquarius?" Lucy asked and took out Aquarius's key. For some reason, the other nine keys were working. Only Aquarius's seemed to be blocked. "No unfortunately. I must admit, it is quite an outlandish conundrum. Ever since we came to this world, Aquarius had mysteriously vanished. Even rumours of smokish creatures have been zooming in and out of sight." Lucy stayed silent, staring at the key.

"Loke has searched the whole Spirit World, no sign of her. And he has not seen these shadows of sorts. So there's nothing to worry about in the Spirit World of late." Lucy nodded and put the key away. "Now, let's practise where we left off." Capricorn took his fighting stance.

Meanwhile in the Great Hall, everyone was getting ready to leave for the Christmas Break. Hermione smiled and nodded at the ghosts who passed by singing merry carols. She turned into the hall and scanned the area. There were about seven people, scattered across the hall. Professor Flitwick was using Wingardium Leviosa to decorate the tree, while Natsu was standing on a ladder decorating the old fashioned way, along with Gray near the bottom adjusting the decorations.

"I never thought they'd celebrate Christmas here." Natsu muttered smiling. "Wouldn't it be Christmas right about now back home?" Gray asked looking up at him smiling. "I think it would be. I wonder how everyone's going on back home." Natsu asked, looking at him. "They'd be fine. They have Juvia, Laxus and Gildarts. It's not like the same people left." Gray sighed happily. "Hey, you here to chat or help?" Professor Flitwick asked, turning his head to the side. "Sorry Professor." The boys apologised before going back to their duties.

Hermione looked around a bit more, until she spotted Harry and Ron, concentrating on a game of chess. She sighed and walked up to them, smiling a bit happy they were doing a game based on logic and strategy.

"Hm…." Harry hummed, stroking his chin. "Knight to E5." He commanded out loud. The knight then moved by itself to the assigned spot and stayed there. Hermione looked over his shoulders, wondering what the next move will be. Ron hummed, then smiled. "Queen to E5." Ron's Queen moved forward to Harry's knight. The Queen then stood up from her chair, picked it up, and whacked the knight into pieces with it.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione exclaimed, dropping her bag. "What's barbaric?" Gajeel asked, carrying a box and looked over Hermione's shoulder. "Wizard's chess. It's chess but suited for wizards." Ron explained, snarking a bit. "Wizard's chess?" Gray repeated, turning around. "Looks interesting." Gajeel snickered. "Hey, we need more decorations over here!" Natsu waved over, a tick mark on his forehead. "Yeah yeah I'm coming!" Gajeel grumbled back, walking towards them.

"Anyway, I see you've packed." Ron observed, looking at the Hermiones bag. "And you haven't." Hermione shot back, quite cocky like. "Change of plans. Mum and dad have gone to visit Charlie in Romania." He told her before leaning in towards Harry. "He studies dragons." He whispered. "WHAT?!" Natsu gasped sharply turning around, before losing his balance and falling off the ladder. "WOAH!"

 _THUD!_ "OW!"

"Natsu, take it easy! You'll destroy the tree if you're this careless!" Gray scolded, a tick mark on the back of his head. But Natsu didn't care, as he scuttled back up and rushed towards Ron. "Your brother studies dragons?!" He exclaimed in shock, both his hands on the table. "Y-Yeah…" Ron replied. " _If there are dragons here then…._ Has he ever heard of a dragon named Igneel?!" He asked, almost at the point of yelling. Gajeel and Gray looked over at Natsu, eyes filled with caution. "Igneel?" Ron repeated. "Yeah, he's a legendary fire dragon!" Natsu exclaimed. "Can you ask your brother-"

 _THWACK!_

"Guah!" Natsu bit his tongue and crouched down, elbows on the table holding his head. "Owww…." Natsu groaned. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Natsu yelled, turning around holding his head. "You're bothering them. Stop it." Gray scolded. "S-Sorry…." Natsu pouted, looking at Ron before going back to the tree with Gray and Gajeel.

"What about you three? Aren't you going to see your families?" Hermione asked, curious.

"Nah, my family has a tendency to destroy things during Christmas. So I'm staying here." Natsu explained, putting on a decoration. He then giggled and looked over to his friends. "You should have seen last year! I was on the roof and I thought a burglar was stealing from us. So I pushed him down the chimney and demanded our stuff back. I then used a fire spell to threaten him so we could have our stuff back resulting in burning the whole place down. But it turned out it was gramps delivering the presents to us. Man was I in trouble!" Natsu laughed.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione suddenly had a worried look on their faces. If that story was true then what could happen as t the school? "Was your grandpa okay after that?" Ron asked leaning to his right. "Oh yeah! It may not sound or look like it, but fire isn't enough to take him down." Natsu smiled with a thumbs up.

"Gray?" Hermione asked.

"My parents are overseas on a business trip. So what's the point going back home if no one's there." Gray told them, picking up a box and taking it over to Natsu. "A business trip on Christmas?" Harry repeated, confused. "I know right?" Gray chuckled before walking off.

"I just want to stay here." Gajeel shrugged, not really bothered to tell a story. "Don't you want to see your family?" Ron asked. "Nah, my family is really stuck up, so I'm taking a break from all that crap." He sighed.

" _What do you mean stuck up?"_ Natsu looked at him sharply, a tick mark in his forehead.

" _You do know we're right here?"_ Gray thought, the same look as Natsu.

"Mister Redfox! No profound language of any kind! Two points off Slytherin!" Professor Flitwick scolded, shaking his finger at him. "Tsk. Whatever…" He mumbled.

As the three went back to work, Hermione looked at Ron. "Anyway, since you're staying here, then I guess you can help Harry search for Nicholas Flamel." She told him. "But we looked everywhere in the library. There's nothing on him." Ron wined. Hermione leaned in, looking behind to make sure no one was listening. "Not in the Restricted Section." She whispered before leaving. As she walked down, Ron shook his head. "I think we put a bad influence on her." He sighed. Natsu eyed Hermione as she strode down the hallway, thinking what she had said.

"A restricted section in the Library?" Levy repeated, holding books, standing in the courtyard hallway facing Natsu. "Yeah. I overheard that the library has one. Maybe we can get some books there to help Mavis on that mystery guy." Natsu explained. "Since when are you interested in books Natsu? This is too weird, even for you." Levy chuckled. "I'm not weird!" Natsu yelled, his fists looking like he was about to uppercut Levy but restrained himself.

"Alright alright. I'll look at the section and bring back what could be useful." Levy smiled. "In the meantime, keep an eye on Harry alright? He's not going anywhere this Christmas is he?" Levy asked. "Huh? No, he's staying here and so is Ron." He told her, leaning back. "Alright, keep an eye on both of them alright?" Levy smiled and ruffled his hair before walking down the hall.

"Thanks Levy!" Natsu called out, waving at her.

"I can't believe half a year has passed…." Wendy sighed, towel drying her hair before putting in a turban with two streaks of hair coming down from her face. As she wrapped the towel around her body, she walked to the body mirror, and looked at her steamy mirror created from her hot bath. "I wonder how everyone else is doing…." She muttered, placing her hand on the mirror to wipe the water off.

Her fingers began to move on their own once her hand touched the mirror. Before she knew it, she was drawing. Her finger slid off to the side, and she stepped back. She then noticed that she drew Juvia, Mest, Laxus, The Thunder Legion Tribe, Elfman, Lisanna... She stared at all of them, then took a bow.

"Merry Christmas everyone. I'm sorry we can't make it for Christmas this year, but I promise that we'll be back soon. In the meantime, please don't cause any trouble or Master might have a stroke." Wendy looked up, only to see that the pictures had completely evaporated. She stared at the mirror for a while, before relaxing her face, releasing a bit of a sigh.

Erza sipped her hot chocolate, watching the outside world whiten with frozen rain. She sighed as she sat at the window sill table her palm resting her chin. "Watching the snow Erza?" Erza hummed and looked back in the room, Mira standing there prim and proper smiling. Erza huffed a smile and looked back outside the window, keeping that smile. "Yes I am."

"You thinking of Fairy Tail?" Mira asked. "Yeah. This is our first Christmas without everyone." Erza sighed. "Well at least we have each other, and everyone back home should be alright. After all it's only half of Tenrou this time." Mira smiled. "I suppose that's true…" Erza smiled as she closed her eyes, face tucking into her neck a bit. She then looked at Mira, a cheeky smirk on her face. "But it's not them I'm worried about. Remember what happened last year?"

Mira giggled. "How could I?" She smiled. "Well, let's just hope that nothing of the sort will happen." Erza smiled.

 _BANG!_

 _THUD!_

The room shook violently, Erza and Mira were taken by surprise, trying to gain their balance. "Woah! What's going on?!" Wendy yelled, she too trying to balance, but ultimately slipped over. Plaster fell from the ceiling, and hit Erza square on her skull. Once the tremors stopped, Erza clenched her fist, breaking the cup's handle. She then violently stood up, her chair toppled over. "Why is there never a moment's peace with Christmas and Natsu?!" She muttered slamming the door shut behind her.

Lucy was the first one to the scene. She finally reached the top of the Astronomy Tower panting from the flight of steps she had to climb. "Uh!" Lucy flinched back at what she had saw.

A giant Golden Star was engulfed in a blue fire, wedged in the gears. The telescope was bent in half, the roof forcefully knocked off, now lying in the courtyard three hundred feet below them, and a massive hole in the side of the tower!

"Nice going Flame brain!"

"You managed to destroy a whole tower in one stupid move!"

"Erza's going to kill us!"

"Are there any times you and Christmas ever get along?"

"There's no way I'm helping you out with this!"

"What on earth happened here?!" Lucy yelled in confusion looking around. Everyone turned around a bit jumpy, but sighed when they saw it was Lucy. "Lucy! You won't believe what Natsu did!" Happy cried flying over to her, shaking his hands up and down.

 **Five Minutes Ago**

"There we go." Gray clapped his hands and rubbed them together. Gajeel wiped his sweating brow and smiled. "Hey Lily! Is everything secure up there?!" He yelled up. "Yep! All secured!" Lily called back, flying down. "All the knots are tight. It won't be falling down anytime soon." Charla reported, flying down. "Awesome! Thanks you guys!" Natsu smiled.

Natsu then jolted his head up, and took a pondering position. "Natsu? What's wrong?" Happy asked, flying up to his head. "I just had an awesome idea!" He smiled. "What is it? Better not be doing something stupid." Gray muttered, hands in his pockets. Natsu giggled as he took out his wand. Everyone looked at him with a confused hum and tilt of the head.

He waved his wand, and with a flick of a wrist pointed at the giant Golden Star. "Ta-da!" Natsu sang, as blue flames came out, consuming the star. "Natsu! What in the hell are you doing?!" Gray yelled, panicking from the flames. "I'm making it pretty, what else!" Natsu yelled back smiling. "But those are flames! You're going to burn the-" Charla screamed, but it was too late.

 _SNAP!_

"Ah…." Natsu watched with a somewhat deadpanned look. The star slowly fell, everyone watching in horror of what was going to happen. The star crashed through the floor, and began to crash through the tower.

" _WE'RE SO DEAD!"_ Everyone screamed, eyes popping out of their heads, jaws almost hitting the floor. "CRAP!" Natsu screamed, diving after the burning star. "What are you doing Flame Brain?!" Gajeel called after him. Happy flew in sharply after Natsu, his wings expanding. Natsu grabbed the rope, just as Happy grabbed his back and lifted him up.

"Guah!" Happy strained, as he couldn't carry both Natsu and the Star. "Happy, I'm going to swing it up! Be ready! One! Two! Three!" With all his might, Natsu swang the Star up, his back facing the oncoming floor.

Everyone watching through the hole gave an eek, and ran all directions. As the Star crashed up through the floor, everyone leapt forward and ducked forward. The star crashed up into the roof, causing the whole thing to fly up, then down onto the ground below. "Oh crap! The ceiling!" Gray panicked. "The Star!" Charla pointed up, the Star falling back down. "Run!" Gray screamed, everyone moving to different spots. The blue flamed Star then crashed into the clock like gears, causing the ground to shake madly. "Woah!" Everyone tried to regain their balance, but ultimately fell flat on their butts.

"Natsu! The force is too great! I can't fly back up!" Happy cringed, his tiny body not capable of regaining balance like it used to. "Hold on Happy! I'll help you!" Natsu yelled over his shoulder. He then shot fire out of his hands, intending to go up, but for some reason, it only came out of his left hand, causing both Happy and Natsu to crash from the wall.

Natsu and Happy continued to fly out of control, until they crash landed on the Astronomy Tower Floor, after accidently breaking the telescope in half. "Ow…" Natsu groaned, Happy dizzily walking away before shaking his head out of it. As Natsu looked up, he saw all the angry faces, as if hell was going to break loose.

"Natsu…..!" Everyone growled.

And that's where Lucy walked in.

"You did WHAT?! How come only YOU destroy everything Christmas related?!" Lucy shouted, using the side of her hand to whack Natsu on the head. "I'm sorry!" Natsu cried, holding his thumping head. "Well then. How are we going to fix this?" Charla asked, looking around the room, hands on her hips.

"NATSU! DID YOU DESTROY SOMETHING?!" A fierce call echoed from the bottom of the tower. Everyone froze, as that tone and yell was extremely familiar. "Erza!" Everyone screamed. "What do we do, what do we do, what do we do?!" Happy flailed, running around.

"Reparo!"

Everything slowly began to repair itself slowly. Everyone looked in awe, of what was happening before them. The Star slowly flew back to it's hanging position, the floor, wall, and roof clamping themselves back in place. "Woah!" Natsu cooed. "Gray, how did you do that?" Lucy gasped, amazed. "I learnt it from that ghost in the Prefect Bathroom. We accidently destroyed the bathroom, and she taught me how to repair it. At least I think it was a she…." Gray explained, scratching his head with his wand.

"Natsu! Don't just gawk, eat the flames! The Star's still on fire!" Lucy whacked Natsu lightly over the head. "Oh, right!" Natsu sharply stood up and took a deep breath in. The flames flowed into his mouth, into his stomach.

Natsu slurped the last flame, then slouched over, as if he were sick. "Uhh….." "Natsu, are you alright?" Happy asked, his paws on his leg. "Hic! Oh yeah. I'm _reaaaaaally_ grand!" Natsu slurred, the blue flames showing as he hiced. " _So the blue flames make him sick?!"_ Lucy thought, her mouth forming a worried look. Gajeel jolted up, and turned over to his friends. "Hey! What about-"

"WHAT IS GOING ON UP HERE?!" Erza marched up, hair flailing and eyes glowing yellow. "N-Nothing!" The three students and Happy snapped in a sharp attention stance quickly blocking Natsu from Erza's vision, sweating. Erza jerked up and looked around. "Th-There's nothing damaged…." Erza gasped, surprised. "W-Why would there be Miss Scarlet?" Gray asked, resulting in everyone that knew what happened in a boisterous chuckle.

"B-But the shaking…. A-and the plaster in our room…" Erza stuttered. "Probably just an earthquake." Lucy lied, giving an awkward chuckle afterwards. "Hic!" Everyone froze in place as Natsu hiced, an illuminating blue glowing behind their backs. "What was that?" Erza asked, sounding a bit more tensed and angry. "Uh…." Everyone panned, sweating more than ever now.

"Hic!" Everyone squeaked a panicked grit, the blue flames flying above their heads. Erza looked above their heads, watching the blue flames curl, then vanish into a speck. Erza slowly walked forward at the group. Gray, Lucy, Gajeel and Happy leant back, trying to block Erza's view of Natsu, Charla and Lily just standing on the side, clearly not wanting any part in this. Erza towered over the pre-teens, who were arching their backs over Natsu's slouching body. Erza looked down, silent. "..." Everyone stood still, holding their breath.

"Let it go Miss Scarlet. After all, nothing is damaged." Erza swiftly turned around, a questioning hum coming from her throat. "Professor Dumbledore." She greeted, nodding at all the other teachers that followed him.

"Thank you for putting up the Star. You may go." Dumbledore smiled. "Uh, actually we're not done yet Professor. We just need to clean up a bit and check that the Star is secure." Lucy smiled. "Ah of course. Well I'll leave you to it." Dumbledore smiled warmly, turning around to the stairwell. The other teachers went ahead, Dumbledore the last one leaving. "Oh, and I suggest only eating orange flames. Flames from another world can have terrible side effects." And with that, Dumbledore left down the stairwell. Everyone blinked a couple of times, digesting what Dumbledore had said. "Wh-when did he…?" Gray asked, pointing at the stairs. "Did we tell him? I don't think we did…" Lucy muttered.

"Oh, and Reparo is quite an advance spell." Everyone snapped back to the stairwell, jumping a bit from fright. "I am impressed, Mister Fullbuster. But in future, please be careful on how you go with such high casting spells." Dumbledore smirked, before disappearing again down the stairs.

Everyone held their breath, and sighed relief. "Hic! Uhhh…." Natsu groaned and slurred, swaying from side to side in a hypnotic like state. "Now what are we going to do with you?" Lucy sighed, hands on her waist leaning over him.

"He ate the Bluebell Flames?" Wendy repeated staring at Natsu, who was being supported by Gray and Gajeel. "Yeah. He ate the flames to avoid a fire but now….."

"Hic! Ah…"

"He's slurring all over the place and hiccuping and burping blue fire…" Lucy sighed. "Put him in that bed. I'll grab some medicines. Gray, Gajeel, Happy, Charla, Lily. Can you come help me please? Lucy, stay here in case Natsu does something stupid." Wendy ordered, before leaving the infirmary. "Alright." Lucy agreed.

As soon as the others left, Lucy took a seat besides Natsu and looked around the infirmary. It was only her and Natsu. There were a few medicines lying around, but other than that, empty. "Hey Lucy, did anyone tell you you're _really_ fat? Especially around your chest area?" Natsu laughed, and pointed at Lucy. "WATCH WHAT YOU SAY MORAN!" Lucy yelled, punching him in the face.

But instead of yelling in pain, Natsu grabbed her wrist and pulled her in. "Huh?!" Lucy gasped, shocked by his hug. "Na….tsu…..?" She asked, confused at what he was doing. "You're really precious to me." Lucy felt a pang in her chest as she heard those words. "If anything ever happened to you, I could never forgive myself…" He continued. Lucy gasped in and out, listening to his words. She could feel herself blush a bit.

"I love you Lucy."

"Huh?!" Lucy gasped before she began to fluster. "W-Wait a minute, i-if this is because I said I was your fiancee, it's only because we needed a cover-up, I only think of you as a friend and I-"

"I love the others too." Natsu pushed away from Lucy, then started patting her on the head. But to Lucy it was more of a whack. "I mean, you're all a part of my family! You're like the sister I never had! Nothing more, nothing less! I feel the same about each and everyone about you!" Lucy's shocked face then became an angry, ticked off look. She clenched her fist, face dark, and teeth gritted.

"YOU HEARTLESS JERK!"

 _BANG!_

 _PUNCH!_

 _SLAP!_

"KYAAAAA!"

"Huh? Why is Natsu injured? He wasn't like this when we left…" Gray muttered, carrying in boxes of ingredients. "And where did bunny girl go?" Gajeel noted, looking around. "Hey, what's this?" Wendy asked, picking up a piece of paper lying on Natsu's bedside table.

"Something came up. Make sure he gets better soon. Lucy."

" _This is Lucy's angry writing….. She only writes like this when she's upset. Did Natsu say or do something to make her mad?"_ Wendy looked over to Natsu, still stone cold out. " _Nah, he wouldn't…. But then again…"_ Wendy sighed as she rolled up her sleeves, putting the note in her pocket. "Alright, let's get you patched up."

"Really! The nerve of that guy! He gives me a speech that makes me flustered, then says I'm like his sister…." Lucy growled as she marched into the Secret Room. "Hm?" Lucy looked at the center of the table, noticing a few things that shouldn't be there. A small Christmas Tree in the center of the table. Then under the tree, there were presents, separated into three groups. Lucy leaned in and picked up a card in front of one section.

"For the students. So then is the other group for the teachers and the exceeds?" Lucy wondered.

"Oh Lucy! Dumbledore came in this morning, said they were for you." Mavis explained, smiling. "There's a card under the tree." Mavis pointed. Lucy reached over the table and grabbed the white card.

"To help you with your mission."

Lucy looked at the wrapped gifts, and picked up the blue wrapped gift from the student pile. She tossed it up and down. It was very soft. Like a fabric of some kind. "Want to open it?" Mavis asked, curious to see what was inside. "Hmmm…..I should wait for the others…." Lucy muttered, playing with the gift. "But it is Christmas…..Alright."

Lucy tore the wrapping open, and flicked open the contents of the gift. It was a pure white cloak with golden edges, and on the tip of the hood was a sapphire gem. "A cloak?" Lucy tilted her head, examining it from all sides. "Put it on! See what happens! Maybe it's a Cloak of Invisibility!" Mavis awed, her hands clasped together, eyes twinkling. "I don't think so." Lucy muttered, sweat dropping.

"Alright, I'll try it on." Lucy sighed, flicking the cloak on. As she buttoned the top and flicked up the hood, she felt something changing in her body. Mavis watched in awe, at what was going on. "L-Lucy…. You're…!" She pointed.

"What?" Lucy asked, before looking down at her body. As she looked down, she was shocked at what had happened to her. She ran to the mirror, making sure her eyes weren't tricking her. She screamed, patting herself down, and grabbed the sides of her cloak.

"Wha-What is this?! What happened to me?!" She yelled to Mavis, panicking about what had happened. "Take off the cloak!" Mavis told her, which Lucy immediately did. Once Mavis saw what happened, she threw her hand out to Lucy. "Get everyone in here. Now!" Mavis ordered.

"Yes! Right away!"


	21. The Family I Never Had

**Hey guys, I just want to say that this will probably be the last chapter in a while. I'm starting Uni/College this week, so I probably won't have time to write. I will write and update when I can.**

 **In the meantime, Enjoy!**

"Harry! Harry! Wake up! Come on Harry! Wake up!"

Harry groaned, and slowly got up from his bed. He rubbed his tired eyes and sat up yawning. "It's Christmas! Wake up Harry! It's Christmas!" Harry blinked his eyes awake, and grabbed his glasses. He rushed out the door and stopped at the balcony.

"Happy Christmas Harry." Ron smiled. "Happy Christmas Ron." Harry wished. "What are you wearing?" He then asked, pointing at the Ginger's jumper. Ron's jumper. "Oh. Mum made this for me." Ron told him. "There's even a present for you." Ron told him, pointing to the tree. Harry was shocked. "I….I have presents?!" He repeated, shocked. "Yeah!" Ron nodded. Harry beamed an excited smile, and zoomed downstairs as fast as he could.

"Over there." Ron pointed as he took a seat on the couch arm. Harry bended over and picked up his present. He took a seat on the big comfy red chair and opened the letter that came with the present, Ron meanwhile grabbing a carton of Bertie Bott's.

"Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well…." Harry looked at Ron, who simply just shrugged. Harry zoned out a bit at the letter, before putting it down to the side and proceeded to open the gift.

"You think Harry and Ron will like the present we'll give them?" Happy questioned, looking at Natsu. "Course they will! I made it after all!" Natsu beamed, pointing to himself. "You mean Lucy did…." Happy corrected. "Yeah, but it was my idea!" Natsu boasted, pointing at himself.

"But I still don't get why Lucy is mad at me…." Natsu whined, rubbing his head. "Well you did seem dazed after you swallowed that blue flame. Do you remember anything after eating the flames?" Happy asked. "Hmm…..no not really….." Natsu hummed. "So either you shouldn't eat those flames again, or Lucy is just stronger than we take her for. She's really starting to be like Edolas Lucy." Happy commented, walking up to the Common Room door.

"Also, we'd better keep our cloaks hidden." Happy pointed at Natsu's bag, that had a bit of the cloak sticking out. "Huh?" Natsu looked at his bag, and shoved it in. "Oh right. I mean this cloak would make people FREAK if they saw me wearing this. Caput Draconis." As the door opened, Natsu turned back to Happy to finish his point. "I mean, it would be like-"

As Natsu turned back into the Common Room, his face became white. "A FLOATING HEAD!" He screamed, pointing at the back of the head of the bodiless head. Ron jumped and turned around, and so did Harry. "Harry?! What happened?! Who did this to you?! It was Draco wasn't it?! I never trusted that kid!" Natsu gritted, shaking his fist.

"Natsu! Calm down! It's not Malfoy, he's gone like the others for Christmas. It's Harry's Invisibility Cloak is all." Ron explained, still shocked from Natsu's little outburst. "Huh? Wha…?" Natsu muttered, utterly confused. Happy wandered over, and swiped his paw under Harry's head. He definitely could feel something there. He grabbed onto what felt like cloth and lifted it up. "Natsu, it really is a cloak!" Happy looked back at Natsu, lifting the cloak up for Natsu to see under the cloak. "Huh. So it is." Natsu said in a mix of bland and surprise.

Harry looked at Happy wide eyed, as he backed away hastily. "D-Did Happy just talk?!" He yelled, pointing to Happy. Now only his head and arm showing. "Didn't you know Harry?" Ron asked, unaffected by the talking cat. Harry looked at Ron, wondering what he was talking about. "It's been a known fact for at least six months." He continued. "Six months?!" Harry repeated, still boggled about all this. Everyone around him simply nodded. "W-well, I never was one for gossip…." Harry muttered, looking down.

"Oh, also Natsu, are you alright?" Ron asked. "What do you mean?" Natsu asked, folding his arms tilting his head. "You got injured during the earthquake. Since you're up now, you must be better." Ron reasoned. "Oh yeah. Um, yeah, I'm feeling a bit better." Natsu smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "What happened?" Harry asked, taking off the cloak. "I don't know. I can't remember." Natsu lied, flopping his hand down.

Harry and Ron looked at each other, having a feeling it had something to do with his head. "Oh, here." Ron rushed over to the tree and picked up two presents from the tree. "Happy Christmas." He handed over a medium sized rectangle present to Natsu, and a small round present to Happy. "What is this?" Natsu asked, playing around with the present. "Just a little something." Ron smiled.

Natsu and Happy blinked at Ron, before looking at each other. Simultaneously, they ripped off the wrapping of their presents. Happy stared at his present, drooling. "No way….. Snapper with Salmon with Tuna?! These are my three favorite fishies! Thank you Ron!" Happy praised.

Natsu's eyes opened wider, his mouth forming a surprised look, holding his present in his hand. "T-This is…." He gasped. "You're our room mate Natsu. And even though you're not seeing your family, you're a part of our family now." Harry smiled, agreeing with Ron. Natsu stared at the what he received. He began to tear up, unable to move. What he received, was a photo that Seamus, Neville, Ron, Harry, and Natsu took together the first night. Everyone was talking, laughing and pointing around, before facing the front and giving a smile and pose for the photo.

"Thank you Ron….Harry…." He smiled, small tears in the corner of his eyes. "Here." Natsu dug into his bag, moving his cloak out of the way to find his presents. "Here!" Natsu grabbed the presents and handed them over to Ron and Harry. "It was finished this morning."

Ron and Harry looked at each other, wondering what Natsu got them. They ripped off the paper, holding in their hands a white scarf, identical to Natsu's. "I also got some made for Hermione, Seamus, and Neville as well. But I'm not sure where they live, so I'm going to give it to them when they get back." Natsu told them, smiling. "Woah, it's so warm!" Ron smiled, flicking it around his neck. "I know right!" Natsu smiled.

"Anyway. I'm going to put this next to my bed. Then, I'm going to grab a bite!" Natsu waved, and jolted up the stairs. "Don't start eating without me!" Happy smiled after him, spreading his wings and flying up after him. Harry once again wide eyed about what he saw. "Six months?" Harry asked Ron, leaning over to him, Ron nodding.

 **Later that Night**

Harry held an arm out of the cloak, holding a lantern. "Restricted Section." Harry muttered. He grabbed his wand and pointed it at the lock. "Alohomora." He whispered. A slither of silver threads slipped into the lock, a click unlocking the door. Harry took a deep breath and entered the maze of the Forbidden books.

"Nicholas Flammel...Nicholas Flammel…" He whispered out loud, holding the lantern to the shelves. He took off the cloak, so he could have a better view of the book spines. "Nicholas Flammel…" Harry repeated, scanning the shelves.

 _THUD!_

Harry gasped and blew out his light. It didn't sound like it came from the main entrance, but from a few bookshelves down. Now that it was dark for him, he could see a faint light coming from the bowels of the section. Slowly, he creeped up to the light, and peeped his head, slowly around the corner. What he saw was a white cloaked being, stuffing books into the satchel they were carrying. He looked on, wide eyed gasping softly at what he was seeing. The figure took a book off the shelves, and opened it. Only for the book to scream at them. The figure jolted, and quickly closed the book to shut it up.

"Who's here?!" An old scrunchy voice called from the entrance of the library. Harry turned sharply to the entrance, a scared gasp softly coming from him. The figure did the same, but missed Harry by a nanosecond. The figure stuffed the last of what they needed, before proceeding to the window grabbing a broom. Harry swiftly followed the figure, watching them jump out the window and fly away.

"Is there anyone here past their bedtime?" The voice asked in a sweet but creepy way. Harry gasped, tossing his invisibility cloak over him and dashing out. But not fast enough. He saw Mister Filch, and stopped abruptly in front of him. Filch growled lowly, holding the lantern up. Harry held his breath, delicately tiptoeing around the caretaker, Filch staring blankly forward. He slowly backed away, before zooming out the already opened up.

Harry swiftly moved through the halls, making sure that no one was following him. He turned the corner, but jumped back as he nearly bumped into Snape and Quirrell. But something wasn't right. Quirrell was being forced against the wall by Snape.

"Severus, I-I-I" Quirrell stammered, flailing his hands at his chest. "You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Severes snarled in that monotone, grasping on Quirrell's collar. "I-I don't know what you mean." Quirrell reasoned, trying everything to get out of the situation. "You know perfectly well what I mean." Snape shot back.

Suddenly, Snape lifted his head up and turned around, facing Harry's direction. Harry slapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from breathing out loud, and slowly backed away. Snape reached out, but in the nick of time, Harry leapt back, resulting in Snape grabbing air.

Snape opened and closed his hand, before sharply turning to Quirrel. "We'll have another little chat soon." He sternly told him, Quirrell scared for his life. "When you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie…"

"What is going on here?" Harry turned around, and gasped. Professor Strauss and Professor Scarlet. He speed walked out of the way, narrowly avoiding them. He didn't want to get caught more than anything now. Snape swiftly put his arms down and faced towards them. "Professor Strauss, Professor Scarlet, good evening." Professor Snape greeted, bowing a little. "Y-Yes.. G-good evening P-Professor S-Strauss…Professor S-Scarlet." Quirrell greeted, doing the same thing.

"Snape, you're not bullying Quirrell are you?" Mira scolded sweetly. "Why would I engage in such foolish actions?" Snape gritted. "Anyway, we heard footsteps coming from this direction. If it was only you two, I guess it was a false alarm…" Erza sighed, folding her arms and closing her eyes. "I guess so…" Mira agreed, looking at Erza.

"Professors." Everyone looked at the one who greeted them. Filch gave a bow, and held up a lantern. "I found this in the Restricted Section." Everyone looked at the lantern, hoping it wasn't going in the direction they think it was. Harry looked at the lantern wide eyed. He forgot to grab the lantern! "It's still hot. That means there's a student out of bed!" Filch exclaimed, giving an evil gold smile of excitement.

Everyone looked at each other in a panic, and ran to the library without a moment's hesitation, Filch hobbling behind. As soon as they left, a door opened, just enough for an eleven year old to squeeze through, before softly closing it behind.

An empty echo bounced around the room. Harry peeped out of the cloak, before taking it off completely. He sighed, and looked around the room. There was nothing in the room. Except… A giant mirror in the middle room.

This immediately caught Harry's eyes, and slowly walked forward to it. As he stared into the mirror, he noticed a misty like wave behind him. He looked behind him, then back at the mirror. But when he looked back, he saw something that he knew couldn't be true. There were two figures in the mirror. A woman with light red hair and a man with glasses and dark clean cut hair. Harry looked at the woman first, shocked. A small smile formed, until he finally asked.

"Mum?" The woman smiled at him, a smile that only a mother could do. If she was his mother, then….

"Dad…." The man smiled at Harry, and nodded.

Harry looked at the woman again, and reached out for her. Only for his fingers to touch the smooth glass. The woman looked at him. She knew that her son wanted to hold them. To ask questions, to have that parent bond that he never got. She didn't know how she knew that. She just knew. Guess it was one of those motherly instincts.

She reached out and touched Harry's shoulder and rubbed her hand on it. Harry slowly reached up, touching the shoulder his mother touched. But as his hand rested, he was greeted by nothing. Harry looked at the mirror. Then looked behind him. "I-I'll be right back." Harry stuttered, as he grabbed the cloak and zoomed out the window.

"Ron! Ron! Wake up!" Harry whispered excitedly, as he ran into the room and threw the cloak off, accidently letting it fly on Natsu's bed. "What…?" Ron asked, sitting up rubbing his eyes. "I saw something! You gotta see this! Now come on!" Harry pleaded, pulling Ron up. "What's going on? Why does my bed smell like dusty books?" Natsu yawned, sitting up. "Wait, are you guys going somewhere? It's like, one in the morning…." Natsu drooled. "Sorry for waking you up Natsu. We'll be quieter." Harry whispered, before proceeding to the exit. "Wait." Ron and Harry turned around, Natsu standing up, holding Harry's cloak. "You'll need this right?" Natsu threw the cloak over to Harry, who caught it. "And I'm up now. Might as well go with you." Natsu stretched. Harry and Ron looked at each other, then just gave a shrug.

A gust of wind gushed over the trio as Harry flicked off the cloak. "Over here, look!" Harry pointed to the mirror, and pulled Ron over to the mirror, Natsu jogging behind. "Look in there! It's my parents!" Natsu and Ron squinted at the mirror. "Stand here!" Ron pointed at a spot on the ground, Ron and Natsu standing next to each other and stared into the mirror. Suddenly, Ron and Natsu's eyes opened in shock.

"Can you guys see them?! I bet you can! That's my-"

"That's me! I'm Head Boy! I'm holding the Quidditch Cup! And bloody hell, I'm Quidditch Captain! I look good…" Harry looked at Ron, confused at what he was saying. Ron saw something different to him. So what did Natsu see?

"Natsu, did you see what I saw?" Ron asked, looking at Natsu. Natsu stood there, gasping, his body shaking, and eyes wide. "Igneel…." He muttered. "I found him… I found Igneel…." Natsu gasped.

He saw his dear father figure, standing behind him, majestic and strong. He gave Natsu a deep nod, proud of his son. "Can this mirror….predict the future…?" Natsu asked, not taking his eyes off the mirror. "It's unlikely…. My parents are dead." Harry told them, not looking up then at the mirror.

Ron and Natsu agreed that Harry needed some time alone. So they took the cloak and promised they'd come back in an hour or so. Only for Harry to agree in silence. Natsu laid in his bed, thinking about what he saw in the mirror, and what Harry said about his parents. Ron did the same, tossing a leather ball up and down.

"Hey Ron, what happened to Harry's parents?" Natsu asked. Ron stopped tossing the ball, then sat up. "You don't know?" Natsu sat up, and looked at Ron. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Bloody hell, I can't believe you don't know!" Ron gasped. "Know what?" Natsu asked again. Ron sighed and looked to the side. "The Boy-Who-Lived." Ron told him as if he should know this stuff. "Uh…" Natsu hummed, until he shook his head. Ron's jaw dropped. "How could you not know?!" He yelled at him. Ron sighed again, and looked at Natsu. He then looked at the ball, and tossed it a bit.

"This was about ten or eleven years ago. We would have been a few months or a year old. Harry's parents were attacked and killed on the spot with the Unforgivable Curse. Harry was an attempted murder victim. But the spell was rebutted, and Harry survived. That's why he's famous. Because he is the only one who ever survived the Curse and by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned."

Natsu's head jolted up, his eyes shocked. "Wait…. This Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned…. He killed Harry's parents?" Natsu gasped. Ron nodded. "Ron…. who is this person?" Natsu asked. "Bloody hell, it'll be a million years until I say! Mentioning his name bad luck!" Ron refuted, looking at Natsu disgusted a bit.

Natsu looked down on his bed, thinking to himself. " _If Harry was killed by this Mystery Man, then that means there's a high chance there is someone who is trying to complete the deed! But who..? I need to tell everyone about this as soon as possible!"_

"By the way Natsu? Who is this Igneel? Why are you so obsessed with finding him?" Ron asked, tilting his head. Natsu looked at Ron, before looking down at his legs. "He's just someone who's always been there for me…. He raised me as a child, before I found my family…" Ron looked at Natsu, surprised. "You were an orphan as well?" Ron asked. Natsu nodded, still not looking at Ron.

"But in the Grand Hall, you asked me if Charlie heard of him. Why would Charlie know Igneel?" Ron asked. "Because Igneel is a dragon." Natsu said plainly. "Wait WHAT?!" Ron exclaimed, leaning forward. "How did you not get eaten?! How did you escape?!" Ron asked, still flipping. "Not all dragons are bad. Igneel was a dragon who supported the human race." Natsu explained calmly. "Bloody hell, are you some sort of Dragon Whisperer?" Ron asked, excited by all this. "To an extent." Natsu admitted.

"Woah! Awesome!" Ron beamed. "I guess I can contact Charlie. See if he knows anything." Ron smiled. "Thanks Ron." Natsu smiled back. "Welp, it's been about an hour. I'm going to get Harry. You coming?" Ron asked, looking at Natsu. "Nah, I'll stay here." Natsu smiled. "Alright." Ron shrugged, before tossing on the cloak and walked out the door.

" _Y_ _awn._ Why are we up here this late at night?" Lucy slurred, rubbing her eyes. "This better be for a good reason." Gray muttered, clearly grumpy about waking up at around three in the morning. "It is for a good reason." Natsu told him, determined. "Natsu came up and said to gather you all here as soon as possible. Not sure why though…" Mavis told them.

"Well, since we're here, did Levy grab the books?" Wendy asked, taking her seat at the table. "Right here." Levy smiled, holding up a book. "Some of those books were weird. There was even a screaming book." "You've got to be more careful Levy. We could only distract for so long." Erza scolded. "Sorry. But I got what we needed." Levy smiled, putting the books on the table.

"But still, why did Natsu call us here?" Mira asked. "I think I have an idea who's after Harry." Everyone was awake now. "You?" Gajeel snarked, pointing at Natsu. "Yes. Mavis, where are the folders on Harry's parents?" Mavis looked at Natsu, confused. "Alright…." Two folders flew down onto the table.

"James and Lily J. Potter. Both in Gryffindor, had one son. Harry. Both of them are deceased. But how did they die?" Natsu asked his comrades. Everyone looked at Natsu, then looked up thinking. "It's simple. They were murdered." Everyone looked at shock at Natsu's claim. "They were murdered…? By who?!" Wendy exclaimed, hand to her mouth. "By Mister Mysterio." Natsu said, his face quite serious.

Everyone froze in place, the information refusing to process. "So that means…" Natsu nodded at Lucy. "The one who attacked him during the Quidditch match… Was either him, or someone who's sworn to finish the deed." He finished. "Natsu…. How do you….?" Mira asked. "Ron explained to me. He told me the reason why Harry is famous. I didn't even know he was famous. But still…" Natsu sighed.

"... Natsu, thank you for bring this to our attention. Thanks to your information, I have a theory of what their achievement is." Everyone looked at Mavis, waiting for her theory. As Mavis explained, everyone stood in place their eyes taking shape of surprise. "I guarantee 96.349% probability that this is how it will play out. Best be on our guard everybody." Everyone nodded, understanding. "Makarov, ask Dumbledore who this man is. I will take it from there." Makarov nodded, understanding.

"Keep your eyes peeled everyone. We don't know who's working for this mystery man. And now that we know why Harry is being targeted, we must stick closer to him more than ever. Am I clear?" Everyone nodded, no objections.

"Good. Meeting adjourned."


	22. Dragon Child

Soon, Winter passed, and Spring was in full bloom. And so was exam season.

Natsu was snoring, a book covering his face and lying down on the benches in the Grand Hall. At his feet, Ron playing with his cards, and Harry scribbling away in his workbook. "Look at you! Playing away with your cards! Pathetic!" Hermione scolded at Ron, who simply rolled his eyes. "And you! Why are you sleeping at a time like this?!" Hermione gasped at Natsu, who was stirring awake. "No need to yell Hermione…" He mumbled, digging his pinky in his ear. "We got final exams coming up soon, and all you two can think about is cards and sleeping?!"

"Hey, ask us any question! We're ready for it!" Natsu said quite full of himself, Ron nodding with Natsu. "Alright, what are the three most crucial ingredients in a Forgetfulness Potion?" Natsu and Ron froze and looked at each other. "I forgot…" They said together. "And what will you two plan to do if this comes up in the final exam?" Hermione asked sarcastically, intrigued for their answers.

"Copy off you."

"Burn down the test hall!"

Everyone looked at Natsu like he was mad. "First, wands are forbidden, meaning no magic…." Hermione started slowly. "Second, according to Professor McGonagall, we are to be given special quills with an Anti-Cheating Spell." Hermione told Ron, like she won the battle. "That's insulting! It's as if they don't trust us!" Ron criticized. "You did say you were going to cheat…" Natsu reminded him. "Dumbledore again!" Ron sighed, throwing the card he had in his hand down.

Neville hopped into the Hall, heading towards Harry and the others. "Why is Neville jumping with his legs together?" Natsu asked, pointing at him. "Leg-Lock Curse?" Ron asked. "Malfoy." Harry sighed, looking at Ron, then back to Neville.

Neville finally reached them, wobbling a bit. "You have GOT to start standing up to people Neville." Ron told him, shaking his head. "How?! I can barely stand at all!" Neville gasped, trying to keep his balance. "We can get even with that guy!" Natsu smiled. "How will we do that?" Hermione asked, still in that cynical tone. "We'll break his legs!" Natsu smiled a bit evilly, standing up and flexing his biceps. "Let's just work on the counter curse first…" Ron said slowly, forcing Natsu to sit back down.

"I can do the counter curse!" Seamus boasted, standing up preparing his wand. "No, That's all I need! You'll just set my bloody kneecaps on fire!" Neville argued. Seamus, in return, gave a mad pout and slammed his wand on the table. "I don't appreciate the insinuation Longbottom!" Natsu snorted, trying not to laugh at Neville's surname. Give it eight months and you'd think someone get over it by then… "Besides, if anyone cared to notice… my eyebrows..." Seamus pointed at his eyebrows, then placed his hands down again. "Have completely grown back!"

Seamus then picked up his wand and marched off. But what he didn't know, was that there was a bald patch in the middle of his head. Hermione tried not to laugh at the sight, but Natsu was a bit more obvious. He was banging his fist on the table, concealed laughs turning into long snorts.

Harry slapped Ron's arm and looked at Hermione. "Here, I found him!" Everyone looked over, while Natsu was still trying not to laugh and Neville still reclaiming his balance. "Dumbledore is particularly famous for defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945." "Go on!" Harry insisted. "For discovering the twelve uses on dragon blood, and his work on Alchemy partner, Nicolas Flamel!" Ron yelled excitedly. Hermione's eyes lit up, and sighed relief. "I knew it was familiar! I read it on the train that day!" Ron told them.

"Follow me!" Hermione whispered to the Ron and Harry, who gathered up all their stuff and followed her in a haste. Neville looked at them all in shock as he saw them leave. "Hey wait! Where are you going?! What about the Counter Curse?!" Neville yelled after them, before losing his balance and falling over.

Everyone laughed at him, Neville staring up at the ceiling with embarrassment. "Need help there Neville?" A sweet voice asked him. A blond girl appeared from the top of his sight, looking at him. "Lucy…" Neville whispered, a relieved that someone cared. "Here." Lucy pulled out her wand and spun her wand three times before pointing her wand at Neville's legs.

Neville shook his legs out, and sighed in relief as he sat up. "Here, let me help you up." Gray offered, which Neville smiled and took graciously. "Thanks Gray." "What happened to you?" Natsu asked, leaning over the table. "I don't know. I was just passing, then Malfoy said that I was a shame to pure-bloods. So I told him that he was wrong, and he told me that I should never speak to him that way, and put the leg-lock curse on me." Neville explained. "Of course it was Malfoy…" Lucy muttered under his breath.

"Anyway thanks guys! Nice for someone to care about me." Neville smiled, before walking off. "Hey guys." Gajeel greeted his team mates, waving a hand. "Hey Gajeel." Lucy waved back. "Why was Neville hopping through the hall earlier?" He asked, looking at Neville walking off. "Malfoy." Everyone replied. Gajeel sighed, and placed a hand on his forehead. "Of course it was him…" He muttered.

"Anyway, Hagrid asked me to ask you that he wants to examine Happy. For Magical Creature purposes." "What about Charla and Lily?" Natsu asked, folding his arms and tilting his head. "Already done with them. It's just Happy." Gajeel told him. Natsu sighed. "Sure, I'll go tonight." Natsu promised. "In the meantime, let's keep studying." Lucy suggested, and went back to her House Table. "Fine…." The three boys sighed, heading their own ways to study.

 _ **Later that Day**_

 _Knock knock knock._

"Why are we here again?" Happy asked, sitting in Natsu's arm. "Hagrid wants to study you. He's already done with Charla and Lily." Natsu explained again for a second time. The door swung open, Hagrid stood there in an apron, greeting them with a smile. "Natsu! Happy! Come in! Come in!" Hagrid invited them in, turning back into his house.

"You want anything? Tea? Cake? Biscuits?" Hagrid offered. "I'll take some cake." Natsu smiled, placing Happy down on the table. "Sure." Hagrid smiled, placing down the cake in front of Natsu.

Happy looked around, then froze at the image of the large, black, panting dog staring him down. "Uh, Natsu…. That dog is staring at me…." Happy pointed at the dog, his paw shaking. "What, Fang? Don't worry about him. He's way past his cat chasing days." Hagrid comforted, getting his writing materials ready.

"Hey, what's that?" Natsu asked, pointing to a golden egg in the pot hanging over the fire. "Oh that? That's a dragon's egg." Natsu jolted up and looked back and forth from the egg and Hagrid. "A dragon's egg?!" He repeated and leaned into the pot. "Got it in town. Lucky I was. Really rare to find one of these." Hagrid explained, quite excited about the egg as much as Natsu was.

"When is it going to hatch?!" Natsu asked, nearly at the point of yelling. "Any time now." Hagrid replied excitedly. "Can I stay until it hatches?!" Natsu asked. "Of course! You interested in dragon's Natsu?" Hagrid asked. "Natsu was raised by one." Happy told him, putting his paw up. Hagrid opened his eyes wider and looked at Natsu. "There are dragons where you're from?!" Hagrid asked. Natsu nodded. "Are they ruthless, gentle, rare, common?" Hagrid shot at Natsu.

"Hey, I thought we were here to interview me!" Happy whined, jumping up a bit. "Oh yes. Of course. But Natsu, you're next!" Hagrid smiled, pointing at Natsu.

Hagrid gleefully rubbed his hands together and opened up his note book, Natsu taking a seat near the fireplace, keeping an eye on the egg.. "Do you have any transformation powers like Lily?" Hagrid asked. "No." Happy simply replied. Hagrid nodded and scribbled down in his book.

"Are you intelligent like Charla?"

"Well, I think I'm WAY smarter! My plans are flawless! It's the people in the plan that's the problem!" Happy said in a boast. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Natsu yelled, feeling a bit used.

"Do you possess any other magical-"

 _Boom boom boom!_

Natsu and Happy turned around looking at the door. "Who's here at this time…?" Hagrid wondered, standing up. "Hide under the table, both of you." Hagrid told them, hobbling over to the door. Natsu and Happy scrambling under the table.

 _Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!_

Natsu heard the door swing open, followed by, what sounded like a boy talking. "Hagrid." The voice said, quite stern and quick. "Oh hello." Hagrid greeted. "Sorry wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to be entertaining today." The door was about to close shut, three voices told him something that made him stop.

"We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"

Natsu and Happy looked up shocked, and looked at each other. "Oh." Hagrid slipped out, and went inside, leaving the door open. It was quiet for a bit, apart from Hagrid's thuds and footsteps of what Natsu thought was three children.

"We think Snape's trying to steal it."

"Snape? You still not on about him are you?"

"Hagrid, we know Snape's trying to steal the stone, we just don't know why."

"Snape is one of the teacher's protecting the stone. He won't steal it."

Natsu and Happy slowly looked at each other, completely silent.

"What?"

"You heard. Go on now, I'm a bit preoccupied today."

"Wait, you said one of the teachers… Of course! There are other things defending the Stone aren't there." A girl's voice asked. "Spells, enchantments." She continued. "That's right. Waste of bloody time if you ask me…" Hagrid sighed.

Natsu peeped a bit from under the table, trying to see who was there.

"Ain't nobody gonna get past Fluffy. Hehe. Ain't a soul knows how, except for me, Dumbledore, and a few special people." Natsu jolted, holding his breath. After all, he was one of the special few who knew how to get past the Cerberus. Hagrid stopped, in his sentence, thinking a bit. "I shouldn't have told you that… I should not have told you that…" Hagrid mumbled and sighed.

Suddenly, the pot began to rattle and shake. Natsu gasped, knowing what it could mean. "Natsu, what's going on? Who is it out there?" Happy asked, whispering to him. "I don't know, but the egg is hatching!" Natsu replied, harshly whispering back.

"Ooo, hot hot hot!"

Natsu could see four pairs of feet crowding around the place he was hiding. He tucked in his feet and placed a hand over his mouth to stop out loud breathing, Happy doing the same.

"Hagrid, what exactly is that?"

"Oh this? It's… uh…."

Natsu looked up from under the table, wondering why Hagrid wasn't so keen on telling them like he was with him.

"I know what that is! But Hagrid, where did you get one of these?"

"I won it. Off a stranger down at the pub. Seemed quite glad to get rid of it as a matter of fact…" Hagrid trailed off, looking at the egg. Natsu looked around, and saw the figures slowly starting to stand back. The egg rattled violently, until smoke burst through the egg, the shell pieces flying everywhere.

Natsu heard skids from tiny claws from above the table. Followed with chirps and lizard like purrs. "Is that…. A dragon?" The girl asked. "It's not just a dragon...That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! One of my brothers Charlie works with these in Romania." One of the boys exclaimed excitedly.

Natsu now had confirmation. "Thought so. It's Harry, Ron, and Hermione." He whispered to Happy. "How do you know?" Happy whispered back. "Like I can forget their voices." Natsu reasoned.

"Isn't he beautiful? Oh bless him. Look, he knows his mummy!" Hagrid smiled.

" _Are you my mummy?"_

Natsu looked up, shocked. "Natsu, what's wrong?" Happy asked, whispering as usual. " _You hatched me. You must be my mummy."_ Natsu stared up a bit. "I can understand what the dragon is saying…" Natsu whispered again, shocked. "Really? What's the dragon saying?" Happy asked. "That Hagrid is his mother."

"Hello Norbert!"

" _Norbert! Norbert like that name!"_ The dragon purred, nuzzling his head against Hagrid's hand. "Norbert?" One of the boys, presumably Harry, repeated. "Of course. He's got to have a name doesn't he?" Hagrid smiled.

" _Norbert nose is ticklish… Norbert's going to…_ Achoo!"

A orange glow could be seen from under the table. Natsu had to hold himself from laughing at how cute this dragon must be. Though when he grows up is going to be the problem. "Oh my! Oh oh oh!" Hagrid fanned his beard down, trying to get the fire out. "Course, he'll need some training…." Hagrid chuckled.

"Who's that?"

There was a bang on the window. Natsu and Happy jumped a bit, looking behind them.

"Malfoy!" One of the boys cried out. "Oh dear…. Go…. Go now!" Hagrid walked hastily, shoving the three people out the door. "But Hagrid-" One of the boys, probably Harry, protested. "Go now!"

 _Slam!_

Natsu and Happy scuttled out from under the table and looked around. "What was that?! What happened?!" Natsu asked, panicking around. "You two better get going as well. Before you guys get caught. Sorry this interview was short." Hagrid gently pushed Natsu and Happy out the door. "Wait! What about the dragon?!" Natsu asked, trying to see past Hagrid. "I'm sorry, just go! Go now!" Hagrid pushed them out the door, and closed it behind them.

"What was that about?" Happy asked, looking up at Natsu. Natsu just picked up Happy, and sped walked towards the school. "Natsu?" Happy asked, confused of what was going on. "We're going back. Draco found Harry, Hermione, and Ron. And if we know Malfoy, he's going to tell, meaning detention. And if we get caught, then-"

 _GRAB!_

A violent hand grabbed Natsu by the collar, resulting in Happy flinging forward and skidding into the dark hall. "And what do we have here? Someone out of bed?!" Happy looked up and saw Natsu being lead away by the one and nd only: Mister Filch. "Hey! Wait a minute! Let me go!" Natsu squirmed, trying to get out. "Let's see what Professor Scarlet says about you out of bed!"

"Wait what?! No! Anyone but Professor Scarlet! ANYONE!" Natsu cried out, squirming more than anything. Erza stood there, eyes closed, folding her arms, tapping her index finger. Her whole body supported by the desk behind her. "Natsu." She started. "Why were you out after dark on a school night?" She asked, trying to be calm as possible.

Natsu didn't reply. He kept looking at the ground, avoiding her gaze. He was actually scared that one word would tick her off. "You know full well that you aren't allowed to roam around unless you are on patrol. And you're still a student, and I must abide by the rules of the school. Therefore, detention tonight and fifty points taken off."

"WHAT?! Erza, cut me some slack!" Natsu yelled, flopping down. "As long as the First does not give orders, I will live by this school's code!" She scolded. "But Erza-" "And if you complain again, it will be a hundred points!" She yelled. Natsu instantly shut up, and looked at his feet. "Good. Filch will accompany you to detention."

Filch marched down, Natsu stiffly following down the hill, pouting. He growled and grumbled along the way, looking forward at the path, kicking the dirt beneath him. "A pity they let the old punishments die." Filch sighed. Natsu looked up at the caretaker, wondering what he was talking about. "Was a time detention found you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God I miss the screaming..." Natsu's face became wide and bewildered, as his head slowly turned back towards the front. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. Along with four other naughty students. A job for you five. Inside the Dark Forrest." Filch explained gruffly. "But I thought-"

Once they reached about ten feet of Hagrid's hut, strange men burst out of Hagrid's door, carrying a covered cage. The cage was screams and screech like roars, the cage rattling. Natsu's eyes opened wide, and he stopped in his tracks. "What's going on? What are they doing?" He asked Filch, pointing to the strange men.

" _Norman's scared! Don't take Norman away from mummy!"_

Natsu gasped in horror and ran forward, Filch stopping him by grabbing his collar and pulled him into some sort of headlock. "Hey! What are you doing?! Stop it! Don't you **dare** take that dragon away from Hagrid!" Natsu yelled in fierce movement. He flashed back to when Igneel raised him, then to the day he disappeared into the unknown. "Grr…. IF YOU TAKE THAT DRAGON AWAY I'LL KILL YOU!" The men who were carrying the dragon, who were ignoring Natsu up till now, gave Natsu a sharp, threatening look.

Filch immediately restrained his head and covered his mouth. "Sorry about that. Violent mouth this boy. Please ignore him." Filch apologised. The men taking the cage away hummed, then continued. Filch then leaned next to his ear and held Natsu's head still. "Don't mess with them boy. Professor Dumbledore ordered this, and what he says….Goes."

As Filch explained, the men vanished in a blurry suction. Filch finally let him go, and Natsu ran forward. "Norman!" He cried out. He turned to Filch, who was already making his way back to the school. "HEY! WHERE DID THEY TAKE THAT DRAGON! TELL ME!" Natsu demanded. All Natsu got was a silence, as Filch hobbled off into the castle to collect the rest of the students.

About thirty seconds later, the other students came down to serve detention. Natsu looked at them, not surprised that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there. But he was curious as to why one of students was there. "Draco? Why are you serving detention?" Natsu asked, pointing at the snobby kid. "That's what I was going to ask you Dragneel." Draco snarled back. "Draco does have a point. Why are you out here?" Ron asked, curious as the others. "Uh…. Happy ran out and I tried to find him." Natsu lied. "That talking freak show? Why bother with him? Get a normal pet like the rest." Draco scoffed.

Natsu scrunched up his face, but before he could have a screaming match, the door from Hagrid's hut opened, everyone shifting their attention to the half-giant. "A sorry lot this, Hagrid." Filch said, holding up the lantern. Hagrid didn't reply, his face looking at the fire. "Good God, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?" Filch growled. Hagrid sniffled, as he picked up his crossbow and looked at his college and students for the night.

"Norbert's gone." He cracked, looking down on the crossbow. "Dumbledore sent him off to Romania. To live in a colony." Everyone looked at each other, not seeing what the problem was. "But that's good isn't it? He'll be with his own kind." Hermione reasoned, not seeing the reason why this was a big deal. "Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania? What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby after all…" Hagrid rambled.

Filch just rolled his eyes before addressing Hagrid again. "For God's sake, pull yourself together man. You're going into the Forest after all. Got to have your wits about you..." Filch gritted. "But it still doesn't make it right!" Everyone looked at Natsu, who was looking at the ground clenching his fists. "Hagrid hatched that dragon… Norman wanted to stay with him… I am thankful that he is somewhere where he can grow without worry…. BUT VANISHING LIKE THAT IS NOT RIGHT!"

Natsu flashed back to when he stood in the open field, waiting for Igneel to come back.

"It's not…" He cried, trying to keep it together. "Natsu…" Ron whispered. "Hold on a minute… How did you know the dragon's name?" Hermione asked, looking at Natsu. "I told him. He was there when they took Norman away." Hagrid explained, clearly covering for Natsu.

Filch rolled his eyes once more. "Are you going into the bloody forest now or not?!" He yelled. "The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed and there are…" Draco eyed the forest in fear, a howl in the distance. He took a gulp, and looked back at Filch. "...Werewolves…" He whispered.

"Ah, there's more than werewolves in those trees lad." Filch smiled cruelly. "You can be sure of that." He cruelly teased, emphasizing on the "T" at the end of his sentence. The kids looked at each other, scared of the horrors that awaited them. "Nighty-night." Filch said, as if he just finished a ghost story, then left it there for the children to be scared of.

As Filch left, Hagrid brought the children back to attention, signaling them to go into the forest. The children watched Hagrid hobble in first, making sure there was nothing at the entrance. "Right." Ron said shortly, clapping his hands together, before turning to his classmates to ask them a question.

"Who wants to go in first?"


	23. Secrets in the Dark

**Hey guys, just a reminder:**

 **Classes for Uni/College are starting this week. The last two weeks were orientation so it wasn't that bad in writing. So please do not get mad if I don't update once a week! I will try as hard as I can, but for now my studies come first.**

 **Sorry for any inconveniences.**

 **Enjoy!**

Everyone followed Hagrid in silence, hollow whispers bouncing in the air, and the crunch of twigs and leaves under their feet. They continued for a while, until they came across a tree with twisted, naked branches. A sweet, but death like smell emerged from the base of the tree. Natsu gagged a bit, as his sense of smell was being overpowered.

Draco looked behind him, making sure that nothing was behind, as the other three followed with caution. Hagrid kneeled by the tree, and placed his fingers in what looked like a rich mix of silver liquid. He rubbed his fingers together, humming. "Hagrid? What is that?" Harry asked, a bit queasy. "What we're here for. See that?" Hagrid lifted his fingers and thumb in front of his face. "That's Unicorn Blood it is. I found one dead a few weeks ago." Everyone looked around, avoiding to see the gore. "Now this one's been hurt bad by something."

Natsu jolted his head up, sniffing the air. Even though there were a few new smells, there was a strong one moving around. At the same time, Harry noticed a ghast shadow, moving between the trees. He gulped and looked back at Hagrid, who looked like he noticed the same thing. "So it's our job to find the poor creature." He continued.

"Ron and Hermione, you're with me."

"Ok..." Ron squeaked.

"Harry, Natsu and Draco, you're the other group."

Draco looked at Harry and Natsu, Natsu and Harry looking at him back. "I would rather burn my own face off than be with them!" Draco growled, pointing at the Gryffindor students. "That can be arranged." Natsu sneered back, cracking his knuckles and stepping towards Malfoy. "Natsu, calm down!" Harry gritted, holding him back. "Mister Malfoy. These are my rules. You will go with Harry and Natsu, and that is final." Hagrid commanded.

Draco tightened his mouth together, then snapped his head to Hagrid. "Fine. Then I get Fang." Draco demanded. "Fine. But just to let you know. He's a bloody coward." Hagrid shot back, quite sourly. The three students blinked, and slowly turned their attention to the saggy skinned dog, panting and wheezing. "Great…" Natsu sighed.

"Wait till my father hears about this! This is servant stuff!" Draco whined, marching through the forest with his partners for the night. "Oh shut up! Is all you ever do complain?" Natsu groaned, not wanting to take this complaining anymore. "In fact, if I didn't know better Draco, I'd say you're scared!" Natsu teased. "I am NOT scared Dragneel!" Draco snarled.

 _AWOOOOOO!_

The three students looked around them, panting. "Did you hear that?" Draco panted, switching his visions between Natsu and Harry. "Uh-huh. Not scared at all…." Natsu muttered, going on a head. Draco gave Natsu a taunting look then a look of terror on his face as he followed, Harry trying not to laugh. "Come on Fang." Harry encouraged, walking beside the dog. "Scared…" Draco scoffed.

The three continued to walk around trying to find the poor creature. Fang continued to lead the trio, sniffing the ground. Natsu kicked the dirt beneath him, clearly bored of getting no results. Harry constantly looked behind them, making sure there was nothing following behind them and Draco holding the lantern up to light the way.

"Grr…."

"What is it Fang?" Harry asked, the three students crowded around Fang to see what he was growling at. Natsu jolted his head up, sniffing the air with Fang. There was that same smell of unicorn blood, but there was a stronger sense of death and danger. Natsu slowly turned around and took a slow deep breath in. "What is it Natsu?" Harry asked. Draco and Harry turned their heads to where Natsu was looking. There they saw a dark cloaked figure, feeding on a deceased silver horse.

Draco and Harry began to back off with Natsu, scared of making a sound. Harry could feel his scar burning. Suddenly, the figure stopped munching on the carcass and looked up at the three boys. He whispered a growl, blood dripping from his mouth.

That's it. Draco couldn't take it anymore. He screamed as loud as he could and fled the other way, Fang following behind him. "Draco! Where are you going?!" Natsu shouted, before turning back to the cloaked figure. He slithered towards the boys, gasping and tilting his head from side to side. "Oh no you don't!" Natsu pulled out his wand and pointed it at the dark figure. The figure just stared at the wand, and snapped its fingers.

"What the…!" Natsu's wand flew out of his hands into the bushes. He shot back at the figure, he and Harry backing up slowly as the creature crept up to them.

" _What should I do? I can't perform magic without a wand. I might need to fight him off physically or without my wand. But after that I'll be exposed! What should I do?!"_

Natsu and Harry tripped back, falling onto the tree root behind them. The figure loomed over them, his draped arms opened above them. Natsu tisked and tightened his fists, grabbing a bit of dirt beneath him. The figure was about to scream in their faces, until Natsu heard something unusual.

 _Klip Klop!_

 _Klip Klop!_

 _Klip Klop!_

 _Klip Klop!_

Harry and Natsu looked up and gasped. A horse glided over them and stomped in front of the figure, kicking the figure away. The figure jumped back suddenly, and twirled away, flying into the cloudy fog. Harry and Natsu panted sharply as they stood up and walked slowly towards the creature. The thing turned around, Natsu stepping back a bit wide eyed.

"Is that….?" Natsu gasped, pointing at the mythical creature

"A Centaur…." Harry whispered.

The Centaur turned around, looking at the two boys. They were both paralyzed from fear and surprise.

"Harry Potter, you must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time. Especially for you..." The Centaur explained, looking straight at him. "Well tell that to our teachers! They're the ones who sent us out here in the first place!" Natsu yelled angrily, pointing to the direction of the School.

Harry rolled his eyes and went back to the Centaur. "But what was that thing you saved us from?" He asked. "A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn…" Everyone looked at the motionless horse, lying there. The blood flowing from its neck into a puddle. "Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even on the edge of death. But… at a terrible price."

The two boys looked at each other, then back at the half man creature. "What would that be…?" Natsu asked, cautiously. "Once the blood touches your lips, you will have a half life. A cursed life." The Centaur told them, darting his vision from Harry to Natsu and vise versa.

"But, who would choose such a life?" Harry asked, Natsu wondering the same thing. "Can you think of no one?" The creature asked them, taking a step forward. Suddenly, Natsu and Harry's minds clicked. " _Of course…"_ Natsu thought. "Do you mean to say… That the thing that killed the unicorn, and drinking the blood was…?"

The Centaur nodded at Harry, knowing what he was thinking. "And do you know what he is after at this very moment?" He whispered to Harry, but was indicating that he was referring to both of them. Harry took a bit to think, Natsu already clicked it together. Natsu gave a short nod that Harry did not see, but the Centaur did. Harry gasped as he looked up.

" _The Philosopher's Stone."_ Harry thought.

"Woof!"

"Harry! Natsu!"

The two boys looked up, and there was everyone. All of them relieved that they were alright. Even Draco. But maybe it was because the creature was gone. Hagrid huffed relief and put down his crossbow. "Hello Firenze. See you've met our young Mister Potter. And Mister Dragneel. You alright there you two?"

Natsu and Harry gave quick nods to indicate they were alright. "Harry Potter. This is where I leave you. Mister Dragneel." Everyone looked at Natsu, who in return was confused why Firenze addressed him. He leant into Natsu's ear, and whispered an inaudible sound to any human.

But to a Dragon Slayer….

"I am aware of why you are here. Professor Dumbledore told me of your coming here tonight through a young girl named Mavis. You must protect what is in the School. And Mister Potter."

"But, who is this Mystery Man?" Natsu softly whispered back.

"Your Master already knows. She will say the next time you meet." Firenze stood up straight again and nodded at Natsu, who nodded back.

"You are safe now. Good luck." And with that, Firenze rode off into the mist, leaving Harry and Natsu alone with the class for the evening. Everyone watched him go, before noticing the unicorn.

Everyone walked back silently back to the school. Harry looked at Natsu, who was looking at the ground, kicking his feet up. "So Natsu. What did Firenze tell you?" He asked. "Yeah? What you two talk about?" Ron asked, everyone now listening to what Natsu had to say. Hagrid just huffed. "Never try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon. So wha'ever Natsu asked, Firenze's answers would probably be invalid."

Everyone looked at Hagrid, then back at Natsu, who was still silent. "...He just told me to be careful is all. I didn't really ask any questions." Natsu lied. Hermione looked at Natsu, suspicious of his tone and body language.

" _What are you hiding, Natsu Dragneel…?"_ She wondered, before looking forward again.

Happy sat on the steps to Hagrid's house, looking worried.

 _CRUNCH!_

Happy gasped and stood up and looked at the dark forest, scared. He shivered, stepping back a bit. The footsteps got louder and louder and louder. Happy held his breath, until he saw Natsu stumbling out of the bushes. "Man, thought I'd never get out…." He muttered, rubbing his head.

"NAAAAAAAAAATSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Happy cried, leaping into Natsu's arms crying. "Where were you?! After you were sent to Erza's office, I was so worried!" Everyone stood behind Natsu, looking at the scene. "So you were sent to Professor Scarlet's office?" Hermione asked in that judgemental tone. "What for?" Ron asked. "Oh, Happy snuck out so I went to find him." Natsu lied, bouncing Happy up and down in his arms.

"Really?" Draco asked, not convinced. "Yeah. He is a cat after all." Natsu argued back. "A cat that can talk and fly." Draco muttered. "Where did you go, what happened?!" Happy cried, yelling at Natsu. "Uh…" Natsu looked at the students behind him then back at Happy.

"I'll tell you in the morning. In the meantime, let's go back to the dorm. I'll see you guys there later." Natsu smiled and waved at his friends and into the castle. Quite forcefully actually. Hermione raised an eyebrow, looking at Natsu entering the castle.

"You kids better get going back. You have lessons tomorrow. Good night you four." Hagrid waved goodbye before going into his hut.

"Natsu, what was that about?" Happy asked, looking at Natsu confused again. "We're going to the First. In that Forest, I was told that the First knows who He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned is." Happy looked at Natsu, then gasped. "Oh yeah! Mavis did tell me to go get you for the meeting. Apparently telepathy doesn't work when you're in the Forest." Happy told him, as they climbed the stairs.

"We're finally going to get the answer." Natsu muttered, entering the Meeting Room. Everyone was already there, and looked at him as he entered. "Natsu." Erza greeted, watching Natsu enter. "Erza? Did you send me to detention because you knew Harry would be there?" Natsu asked, looking at Erza. She simply sighed and closed her eyes. "It was the First's orders." Erza told him.

"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It was an unexpected move. Once I ran the calculations, it was a 98.392% chance that they would get caught. And the route you were taking, there was a 99.346% that you would get caught by Filch and bring you to Erza. So, I quickly telepathic Erza and told her to send you to detention with them." Mavis explained calmly.

"Why couldn't Erza tell me there and then?" Natsu asked. "We couldn't risk anyone knowing we were sending you to protect Harry. Especially with Filch outside." Mavis confessed. "And knowing you, we knew you could protect Harry, even without knowing. Cause that's your specialty." Gray snickered. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Natsu growled at him.

"Natsu! Not now!" Lucy scolded. "First. You know who this man is." She asked. Everyone looked at Mavis, serious looks on their faces. Mavis nodded. Everyone stood silent. The tension was thick, the sound could have been broken with a pin drop.

"His name is…."

 **In the Gryffindor Common Room**

"You mean You-Know-Who's out there right now in the Forest?!" Hermione gasped, sitting with her friends at the fire place. Harry sighed and rubbed his head as he paced. "He's living off unicorns. Don't you see?" Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, his head moving between them. "We got it all wrong! Snape's not stealing the Stone for himself." Ron and Hermione looked at each other, wondering where Harry was going with this.

"He's stealing it for Voldemort."

Hermione widened her eyes and leant forward. "For Voldemort?" She repeated. "With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong enough again. And he'll…. He'll come back." Harry sighed and sat down scratching his head.

"If he does come back, you don't think he'll… you know… kill you?" Ron asked, a bit quiet while asking the question. Harry sat there thinking before he answered. "I think if he had the chance he would have killed me tonight." Ron gulped, and sat back. "And to think… I was worried about my Potions Final!" He panicked.

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing." Hermione added. The boys looked at her, wondering what she was on about. "Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?" She asked. Ron and Harry looked at each other then shrugged.

"Dumbledore." Hermione answered. "As long as Dumbledore is around Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched." She told him. Harry nodded, and looked down.

"Well, we have the Finals tomorrow. We'd better rest." Ron sighed, standing up. "Wait." Hermione stopped him, the two of them looking at her with great confusion. "What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Hermione! You can't do this! This is against code!" Ron harshly whispered, speed walking behind Hermione. "Don't you think it's strange? We've been talking about things like this multiple times in front of Natsu, and yet he doesn't ask questions?" She asked the boys as she kept walking forward.

"Come to think of it, yeah…" Harry admitted. "That's not the issue! You're about to burst into our dorm with Neville, Seamus and Natsu inside!" Ron tried to convince her to stop, but she was determined. "I bet you that Natsu isn't inside." She told them confidently, stopping outside their door.

"Please Hermione don't do this!" Ron begged. "At least let one of us in to check." Harry suggested. "Mfph. Fine." Hermione stepped away from the door, Harry nodding as he stepped up. "Thank you." He muttered.

The door creaked open, Harry peeping in a bit first. He could hear snores from Neville and Seamus. But not from Natsu. He tiptoed to Natsu's bed, and leant in. His hands patted down the bed. His eyes widened up a bit, wondering why no one was there. He slowly stepped back and closed the door behind him.

"Well?" Ron asked. "No one's in the bed!" Harry whispered. "See! I told you!" Hermione gestured to the door, looking at Ron. "Then where is he?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione and Harry.

"What are you guys doing out here?" A tired voice asked them. The three students jumped and looked down the hall, and there was Natsu in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes. Happy sleeping peacefully on his head. "Natsu? Where were you?" Harry asked, Ron and Harry quickly hiding Hermione behind their backs. "I was in the bathroom…. Why are you guys out here?" He asked folding his arms.

"Uh, late night studying." Ron lied. Natsu raised his eyebrows. "Uh huh… And why is Hermione hiding behind you?" He asked, pointing behind them. Hermione felt a ping of shock, Harry and Ron looking at each other. "What are you talking about?" Ron asked trying to throw him off. "I saw you hide her." Natsu told them. But in truth, he could actually smell her.

"Girls aren't allowed in here." Natsu reminded them. "Sorry Natsu, I was just following them blindly. After all, we had a big night." Natsu nodded. "True that…. Welp, good night." Natsu waved, and went inside the room.

"See Hermione, you're over reacting. He was just in the bathroom." Ron told her. "I still don't trust him…." Hermione muttered. "Hermione, tomorrow's the Finals. Just let it go for tonight." Ron wined. Hermione looked at Ron. Then Harry. Then at the floor. "...Fine. Sleep is important. Good luck for tomorrow." Hermione wished, then disappeared to the Girls Dorms.

"Well, we'd better clean up." Harry suggested, Ron nodding in agreement as they both headed to the bathroom.

" _Man that was close!"_ Natsu breathed, pushing himself off the door and to his bed. He flopped in, Happy rolling off next to his head.

 _ **Two Minutes Ago**_

Happy zoomed up Gryffindor Tower as fast as he could until they reached the bathroom window. "Alohomora!" Natsu commanded, the window instantly unlocked. Natsu jumped through the window without hesitation. He could hear Hermione's voice down the hall, questioning how Natsu never asked them about their investigations. He rushed out the door, Happy clinging on his head. He got lost a bit, before finding his dorm. And that is where Natsu came in.

He sighed and covered his body with the sheets. He slowly began to drift off, thinking about what was going to happen from now on.

 **Slytherin Dorms**

"Wait till my father hears about this!" Draco muttered angrily, writing something down. "What are you doing Draco?" Gajeel asked, sitting cross legged hand supporting his cheek. "Telling my father about what this school put me through!" He grumbled. Gajeel just sighed. "Look, we have Finals tomorrow. Just worry about it later." Gajeel suggested. "No. This school has made a fool of me." Draco sneered. He then looked at Gajeel with a sinister smile.

"And I'm going to get even."


	24. Past the Point of No Return

"I am so dead…. I'm sure I failed that…." Natsu sighed, slouch walking out of the test hall. "Oh don't be like that Natsu. I'm sure you did fine." Lucy smiled, trying to cheer him up. Gajeel and Gray just kept on walking not saying anything, trying to refrain themselves from how wrong Lucy could be.

"How'd you guys do in Healing?" Gray asked, looking at his team mates. "Wendy's an amazing teacher. In fact, my practical went off without a hitch! To think that I could actually be a wizard that can heal! I think I'm really beginning to climb the power ladder." Lucy smirked, flicking her hair with her hand. "Really? Cause apparently everyone I talked to couldn't ace it." Gray told her. "Maybe it's because we're from the same world as her." Natsu suggested. "Maybe." Lucy agreed.

"What about Requip?" Natsu asked. "I heard Gajeel ate the things he summoned…" Gray snickered, everyone turning their heads to Gajeel, smiling a bit giving him a cynical look. Gajeel just coughed and straightened up his posture. "I didn't have breakfast this morning…" He muttered. "Uh huh…" Gray snarked, as they kept on going. "Erza's probably gonna be furious." Natsu snickered.

"The theory in Transfiguration was a bit tough I must admit." Lucy admitted. "Luckily Mira taught us beforehand when we wanted to learn Transformation. I didn't know that it was the same theory to be honest…" She smiled.

"But potions was the cake for me. I forgot every ingredient in the Forgetfulness Potion!" Natsu whined. "Well, if you studied, then you might have gotten it." Gray sighed. "Well I did great at Astronomy! Thanks to my friends." Lucy smiled, patting her keys.

The four stopped, and looked up. Faint sweet music came from outside the school grounds. They looked around the corner of the doorway that lead to Hagrid's hut, and stepped forward, quite surprised. He was swaying to his recorder, the music mystical and fantasy-like. It probably wasn't the best thing they heard, but they were enchanted by it.

"I didn't know Hagrid played music." Natsu hummed, leaning forward a bit surprised. "And we didn't know that the school had a Cerberus, a Nightmare Forest, and an All-Powerful Stone. This has to be the least surprising thing here." Gray told him, putting Natsu a bit down, grumbling.

"Let's say hi. We haven't seen him in a while." Lucy suggested, clapping her hands together. "Sure! Haven't talked to the guy all year." Gray agreed. Gajeel just shrugged and mumbled a sure. "Right, let's go then!" Lucy smiled going down the path, everyone following behind.

"Hey Hagrid!" Lucy waved once she was in ear reach of Hagrid. "Oh hello! What are you four doing here?" Hagrid asked, putting his recorder down. "We just finished our last paper. Then we heard you play." Gray smiled, hands in his pockets. "Nice tune by the way." Natsu grinned, putting his thumbs up. "Yeah, I could set some sweet tunes to that." Gajeel smirked, folding his arms into la la land. Everyone groaned and chuckled awkwardly to the statement of Gajeel.

"Oh, also, I have important information for you." Everyone hummed a short hm, as they turned back to Hagrid. "Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They know about the Stone. And they know how to get past Fluffy." Everyone gasped silently, knowing what this could mean. "Wait, who's Fluffy…?" Natsu asked, first time ever hearing that name. "The Cerberos." Hagrid answered.

"Pft! Pffffffffft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Who names a ferocious animal a cute name?! It's like giving a dragon the name Pink Sparkle Glitter Tutu Princess! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu was rolling on the floor, banging his fists uncontrollably. Everyone just rolled their eyes and ignored the laughing maniac.

"Anyway, please keep an eye on them for me. Now that they know, they may try do something foolish." Hagrid asked of them. "We'll do our best. We'll find them now!" Lucy confirmed nodding. Lucy ran back up with Gajeel following behind. "Come on Dragon Breath! Time to get a move on!" Gray yelled as he ran past, pulling Natsu's collar with him. "WOAH!" Hagrid watched them jolt up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He sighed heavily and began to play again.

The four ran everywhere looking for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Natsu, do you smell them?" Lucy asked him as they ran through. "Yeah, they were definitely through here…"

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore immediately!" A young boy's voice asked urgently. Natsu jolted into a stop, holding his friends back. He gave them a shush, and signalled them to hide behind the wall separating the courtyard and hall outside Professor McGonagall's office.

"Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." A soothing old lady's voice explained.

Everyone looked at each other as they listened, confused as to why Dumbledore had left all of a sudden. Gajeel could probably take a wild guess as to why.

"He's gone?! But this is important!" The boy pleaded. "It's…. It's about the Philosopher's Stone."

There was a bit of silence after that. Natsu stood up a bit, only seeing the top of everyone's heads. Just barely.

"How did you…?"

"Someone's going to steal it!"

"...Well, I don't know how you three found out, but I can assure you the Stone is perfectly well protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories. Quietly." The lady asked, emphasizing on the word 'Quietly.'

Shuffled footsteps came closer to the door of the classroom. Natsu sharply flexed down, head nearly hitting the ground. "What's going on?" Lucy whispered, leaning towards Natsu. "They're coming out." Natsu whispered back, putting his finger on his mouth to shush everyone.

As soon as they turned down the hall, they stopped to talk about the matter. The four spying on them slowly lifted their heads above the sill to see what was going on. "That was no stranger Hagrid met. It was Snape! Which means, he knows how to get past Fluffy." Harry argued, determined Snape was behind this.

Natsu snorted a bit at the name. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at the sills, swearing that they heard something. But no one was there. "Anyway…" Harry continued, looking back at his friends.

Meanwhile, behind the sill, Gray, Lucy, and Gajeel gave Natsu an irritated look. It was lucky they ducked down in time, or they could have been in hot water. They slowly peeked their heads back up, looking at the three again.

"We need to do something about it!" Harry said sternly. "And with Dumbledore gone-" Hermione started.

"Good afternoon." A deep, monotone voice slithered in their ears. Everyone turned their attention to the person behind the three Gryffindors. "Now what would three young Gryffindors like yourselves be doing inside…." Harry stepped forward and gave him a look, knowing all the things that Snape had done. "On a day like this?" Snape finished. He snapped his eyes to Hermione, who began to stutter for an excuse. Snape raised his eyebrows, wanting an answer. "We were just-" Hermione tried to explain, before Snape cut her off again.

"You ought to be careful. People will think you're…." Snape eyed Harry, who wasn't backing down with his stare, giving him a slow distrustful squint. He darted his eyes to the four hiding students, who all froze at his cold gaze.

"Up to something…" He finished, still looking at them.

The three once again turned around, but the four ducked back down in time. Harry turned back to Snape, who was already making his way down the corridor. His robe flowing with every step he made.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione whispered, leaning over to Harry. "We go down the trapdoor. Tonight." Harry decided. The Fairies' eyes opened wide with caution, and scuttled off to the side without hesitation to tell Mavis of what they overheard.

"See, I knew we should have stopped them after they went to deep!" Gray yelled after them, as they twisted through the halls. "But if we did, then they would have been suspicious of us! Dumbledore said he would take care of it!" Lucy yelled back, jolting up the stairs. "But he's not here! So now what?!" Natsu groaned, following around the corner. "What else dumbass?! We tell First and Seventh what's going to happen tonight!" Gajeel growled, running straight behind them.

 _THUD!_

"Ah!"

"Ooof!"

Lucy rubbed her head, groaning a bit. "Ow ow ow ow ow…" She muttered. "Lucy, are you alright?!" Gray asked, helping her up. "Yeah, I'm alright. What about-" Lucy looked up to see who she ran into, and widened her eyes with guilt.

"Professor Quirrell! I'm so sorry!" Lucy apologized, bowing over and over again. "P-p-please w-wa-watch wh-where y-y-you a-a-a-are ru-r-running M-Miss H-Hea-Heartfilia. A-A-And n-no r-ru-running i-in th-the ha-halls." Professor Quirrell scolded, picking up his books and standing up. "Y-Yes! Of course Professor! It won't happen again." Lucy promised, giving a final bow. "S-s-since it's th-th-the e-end of th-the y-y-year, a-and y-you a-a-are in m-my house M-M-Miss H-H-Heartfilia, I-I w-w-will l-le-let y-y-you o-o-o-off w-wi-with a wa-wa-warning. P-P-Please s-s-sustain fr-fr-from ru-ru-running ag-again." Lucy nodded and gave a bow. "T-Thank you Professor!" Lucy bowed, and stayed down as Professor Quirrell walked past her.

"S-S-Same t-t-to y-you th-th-three." The Professor scanned his index finger to the three male students, who all nodded vigorously. "G-Good." Professor Quirrell nodded, and walked past Natsu. As he did, Natsu's head jolted up and swiftly turned his head to the Professor, who disappeared down the stairs.

"Natsu." Gray noticed with caution. "Yeah." Natsu nodded. "Let's get going to the First." Lucy said with that same look and caution as Gray. Everyone nodded, looking down the hall Quirrell disappeared down, and ran up the stairwells.

"And you're certain it's tonight?" Mavis asked, her hand supporting her chin. Lucy nodded, the three boys by her side. "Hm, I'll admit, it's a bit later than I expected…." Mavis muttered. "Well Master Mavis, what should we do?" Makarov asked Mavis, looking at her. "We must go according to the plan." Mavis said with determination. She looked at the four students.

"The teachers will get you as far as you can under the trap door. But you must fight yourself. Everyone in this school knows their magic, so they cannot fight against who we think is down there. Only you four can fight. Do you four up there understand?" Mavis called, looking at the first level balcony.

"Seems fair. After all, we do teach our specialised magic." Erza agreed, leaning on the first level balcony. "Erza! How long were you there?" Lucy asked, looking at her. "We were reading the restricted books, and then we heard you come in." Levy explained as she came from behind Erza, adjusting her glasses.

"There was a lot of information in those books. But nothing that really stood out." Wendy called down. "But anyway, you want us to help them through the trapdoor?" Mira repeated. "Yes. That is the plan." Mavis confirmed. "We will move at midnight."

 **At Midnight**

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy paced nervously up and down the room, her hand covering her mouth. "I'm sure he has a reason." Mavis stated calmly, but she was also a bit worried why Natsu was late.

"Guys!" Natsu came bursting through the door, as if something big happened. "Natsu! Where were you?!" Erza scolded, hands firmly on her hips. "No time! Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the move! They JUST paralyzed Neville with Petrificus Totalis because he confronted them! They're on their way to the Third Corridor as we speak!"

Everyone snapped at Mavis, waiting for her next move. "I wasn't expecting them to move this fast! But luckily I thought of another strategy in case. You four will help guide everyone through the trapdoor from the fourth floor with Makarov. We can't risk too many people in there at once." The four teachers nodded in understandment and made their way to the fourth floor immediately. "As for you four, you know what to do." Mavis nodded at them, who all nodded back.

A golden glow came from their hands, their white cloaks falling into their hands. They turned swinging their arms around their bodies, clicking the capes in. As they walked out, they could feel the magic of their cloaks flowing into their bodies. They could feel their bodies changing with every passing second.

They stood outside the Third Corridor door, looking at the wooden obstacle. "This is it. You guys ready to take on what's down there?" Lucy asked, looking from side to side. "That's what Fairy Tail does best doesn't it?" Natsu grinned, punching his fists.

Lucy smiled and nodded, looking back at the door. "Alright. Here goes nothing." Lucy sighed. As they opened the door, the same, hollowed sound bounced off the walls, the hallway dark as ever.

"Good luck everyone." Mavis whispered as everyone stepped in, the door closing automatically as the last person entered, with a soft click.


	25. The Cursed

Harry stepped up to the final door of the underground mad house. He looked behind him, Hermione looking at him, Ron lying motionless beside her. She gave him a nod, Harry nodding back. He took a deep breath in, and pushed the doors open. Hermione watched Harry disappear inside, before the doors closed by themselves.

Harry slowly stepped down the stairs, looking only forward. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. There was the Mirror of Erised. And in front of it, was the real mastermind behind this whole scheme.

"You!"

The man turned around, and smiled a diabolical smile. "N-No, it can't be! Snape! He was the one who-" The man chuckled before he replied. "Yes, he does seem the type doesn't he." Harry seemed surprised. All this time, he thought that he had a speech impediment. "Next to him, who would suspect; P-P-Poor s-s-stuttering Professor Quirrell."

Harry looked at the Professor, confused. "B-But that day, during the Quidditch Match, Snape tried to kill me!" Harry argued, knowing that Snape tried to… Quirrell just chuckled and shook his head. "Oh no dear boy. _I_ tried to kill you." Quirrell confessed, no regret of telling him the truth. Harry looked at Quirrell, shocked. "And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught on fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded. Even if he was muttering his little counter-curse!"

Harry stepped back a bit. "Snape was… trying to save me?"

"I knew you were tainted to me right from the day off. Especially after Halloween." Harry swung his body from side to side, pondering. "Then, it was you who let the troll out!" Harry pointed at Quirrell, who simply smiled. "Very clever boy. Yes, it was me. However, Snape wasn't fooled. Along with that red head of a demon!"

Harry looked at him, confused. "Professor Scarlett?" He asked. "Both of them confronted me that night on the third corridor while everyone was running around. Snape never left me alone, and as for Professor Scarlett, she kept more of a low profile." Quirrell turned around to face the mirror. As he did, Harry's scar began to burn.

"But Snape doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never." Quirrell's eyes darted around the mirror. "Now, what does this mirror do…. It sees my desires. I see myself holding the stone…. But how do I get it?!" Quirrel gritted.

" _Use the boy…."_

Harry looked around the room, the whispers echoing around the room. Quirrell snapped his head and pointed at the child. "COME HERE POTTER! NOW!" He commanded. Harry slowly stepped down. His legs couldn't stop moving on their own. He stepped down to the mirror, and faced the mirror. "Tell me, what do you see?" The Dark Arts teacher asked. Harry blinked at the mirror. His reflection reached inside his pocket, and pulled out a giant red stone. Harry gasped silently as his reflection winked at him and put the stone in his pocket.

Harry slowly looked down at his pocket and gave it a soft squeeze. His fingers pressed against something hard and cold. He sharply looked up and stared at the mirror. "What is it?! What do you see?!" Quirrell yelled. "I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I-I've won the House Cup."

" _He's lying…."_

Quirrell looked at Potter, outraged. "TELL THE TRUTH POTTER!"

" _Let me speak to the boy."_

"But Master, you are not strong enough."

" _I have spent enough for thissss…."_

Quirrell turned to face Harry, and slowly began to remove his turban. Harry looked behind him, and thought he saw a flash of white ducking behind the pillar. He looked back at the mirror, just as Quirrell had finished unwrapping his turban. He pulled off the final layer. And there, was another face attached to the back of Quirrell's head!

" _Harry Potter… We meet again….."_

Harry stepped back even further, looking at the man staring at him from the mirror. "Voldemort…" Harry panted.

" _Yesss…. Ssseee what I have become? What I mussst do to survive? Live off another, becoming a parasite…. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but not provide a body of my own…."_ Voldemort's eyes widened more, giving Harry a crazed look. " _But there is something that can…."_ Harry's heart began to race. " _Something that lies within your pocket!"_

Harry turned and ran up the stairs to get away. " _STOP HIM!"_ Voldemort commanded. Quirrell snapped his fingers, and a ring of fire erupted around the room. Harry stepped away from his initial exit and looked around the room. But it was no use. He was trapped.

" _Why suffer horrific death? When you can join me and live….?"_ Harry was disgusted by the offer, and refused quite clearly. " _Bravery…. Your parents had it as well…. Tell me, Harry…."_ Voldemort twisted a slimy smile, bringing up his next offer. " _Would you like to see your parents again? Together, we can bring them back. All I ask….. Is something in return…."_

Harry looked at the mirror, his parents looking back at him. He took out the stone, and looked at it, thinking about the deal. " _That's it Harry…. There is no good or evil…. Only power… And those too weak to see it… Together…. We will do EXTRAORDINARY things…"_ Harry looked back at the mirror, then down at the stone.

" _Just give me the stone!"_ Harry looked at the mirror, his parents fading from the mirror.

"YOU LIAR!" Harry called out, knowing it was a void deal.

" _KILL HIM!"_

Quirrell leaped into the air, and attempted to grab Harry. Quirrell pushed him onto the stairs, Harry dropping the stone. The teacher's hands were around the boy's neck, Harry slowly slipping away from consciousness.

 _SLURP…_

Quirrell looked up quickly, looking at the fire disappearing in a vortex. " _WHAT?!"_ Voldemort yelled. "HYAH!" A man wearing a white robe appeared through the open wall of flames, punching Quirrell away from Harry.

Harry gasped in air, and began to cough violently. He looked behind him, Quirrell slowly getting up from the floor. Harry looked at the white figures. There were four of them, older than him. Each of them had a different colour stone on their hoods, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, and Topaz.

"Harry, are you alright?" The female with the sapphire gem asked. "Y-Yeah. Who are you?" Harry asked. "That doesn't matter. Just grab the stone and get out of here." The man with the Ruby gem on his hood commanded. "But-" Harry argued. "Don't worry kid. We got this." A gruff male with the Emerald smiled, putting his thumb up. "Leave it to us." The man with the Topaz said, pulling out his wand, the other three doing the same thing.

Harry nodded and grabbed the Stone and ran up the stairs. " _NO! STOP HIM!"_ Voldemort commanded. Quirrell tried to get passed the masked intruders, but Quirrell felt his leg get pulled down by some sort of whip. He looked behind him, one of the members holding a blue and yellow whip to keep him from leaving. Harry looked behind him from the noise and stopped. He looked at the door, then down at the fight. He groaned and took cover behind a pillar. He couldn't just leave them there with the darkest wizard alive!

"So it was you all along…" The Ruby man cracked his knuckles and stood up to Quirrell. "Guess the First was right. She knew it was you the moment you let out the troll." The man continued.

Quirrell screamed in an outrage and lunged towards the man. The man ducked in time and punched Quirrell in the stomach, his fist engulfed with flames. Harry's head jolted forward, watching the fist burn. "Metalicana! Your turn!" He called out after the punch.

" **Iron Dragon Iron Fist!"**

The gruff man called out. As he did, his arm became an iron pole and extended to the other side of the room! Harry's eyes opened wide in disbelief. Quirrell fell down onto the ground, his feet scuttling back up. He too was surprised by this. " _WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS PLAYING AT?!"_ Voldemort asked, enraged.

"Celestia!" The gruff voice told the Sapphired Gem cloak. "Yeah!" She nodded and whipped out a Golden Key. Harry's eyes zoomed in on the object immediately. "Is that a…" Harry muttered. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" A glow came from mid air, and out came a well dressed man with glasses and flaring orange hair. His fists were clenched and a golden glow came from his rings. Harry gasped, watching him punch Quirrell over and over again.

"Impossible…" Harry whispered.

Leo jumped back, behind his mistress.

"Glacier! Your turn!"

" **Ice Make: Snare!"** The one with the Topaz Gem's hands emitted frost, before shooting at Quirrell, forcing him against the wall, trapping him.

Harry couldn't believe it… He had never seen such….. Magic!

" _Hehehehe….. I admit, I never have seen such foreign magic….. But do you think that will stop me?!"_ The figure snarled, before the ice exploded into steam from a fire spell. The five blocked the oncoming debris by crossing their arms against their face. When they put their arms down, they saw Quirrell, smiling frantically. " _Playtime is over… PUT THEM IN SUFFERING!"_

"CRUCIO!" Quirrell yelled, his wand pointing at the group.

Suddenly, everyone's bodies became tense. They felt their bodies were being twisted, everything they did was only making their bodies feel worse. They all began to scream in suffering. "L-Leo…. Go back!" She commanded, not wanting her spirit to endure this suffering. "But L-" That was all he could say, before he disappeared into golden sparkles.

Quirrell pointed his wand at the Ruby Cloak, his wand forcing the pain on him more. He walked up to him, and stomped on his ankle as hard as he could.

"AAAHHHHHH!" He screamed. His ankle was broken.

Next, he walked up to the Sapphire one, and stepped on her arm. She screamed in pain, her arm too, was broken.

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He took out the stone and ran down. "Hey! Looking for this?!" Harry waved the stone in his face. "Well you can have it!"

He ran down and pushed Quirrell in the face away from the others. As he did, Quirrell screamed in agony, his face burning. Everyone looked at Quirrel as his skin began to peel off, as if acid had been thrown on him. Harry looked at his hands, then at Quirrell, who was ready to pounce on him.

Harry ran up to him first, and placed his hands all over his face. Quirrell began to scream, the Crucio curse no longer taking effect on the four cloaked figures. They tried to push themselves up, but fell unconscious due to how the spell had taken effect on them.

Quirrell screamed one last time, before he was reduced to ash. Harry panted, and looked at the unconscious people who saved his life. He walked over to one of them, and noticed a pink symbol on her hand. He picked up her hand and looked at the symbol. His head turned to the hood, his hand reaching for it.

But before he could pull it back, a ghastly face flew past Harry and slithered away up the stairs. Harry fell back and hit his head on the steps, resulting in him getting knocked out. And beside his open hand…

Was the Cursed thing that started this whole mess.


	26. End of an Era

Harry slowly opened his eyes. The world around him blurry and fuzzy. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, holding his head. He reached over and around to find his glasses, finding them next to him on a table. It was then he realised, he was in the Infirmary.

"Oh Harry! You're awake!" A sweet voice exclaimed happily. Harry looked to the side, seeing Wendy there holding some papers. "Professor Marvel…? What happened?" Harry asked, before turning his head to the foot of his bed. His eyes widened at the sweets at the bed.

"We found you unconscious in the Third Corridor. Everyone was worried, so they brought you get well gifts." Wendy smiled. "But what were you doing under there Harry? You know it's forbidden."

"Well, I um…" Harry stuttered, trying to find a good excuse for him being down there.

"Good afternoon Harry, Professor Marvel."

Wendy looked up to the main entrance, and smiled. "Good afternoon Professor Dumbledore." She greated. Harry looked to the entrance and smiled as well. "Professor." He beamed. Dumbledore wandered over to the tokens of sweets at Harry's feet. "I see your friend Ron has helped you in opening some chocolate frogs."

"Ron was here? Is he alright? What happened?" Harry asked frantically. "Ron is alright. He and Hermione were carried in. We treated them immediately." Wendy explained. "Wait, Hermione was injured?" Harry asked, not recalling Hermione majorly injured. "She had some cuts and bruises. She was also unconscious when she was in."

"Wait, unconscious?" Harry repeated, quite certain Hermione was well awake when he went through the doors. Wendy nodded. "Though, I'm not sure who brought them in. They were just lying in the beds when I came in." Wendy hummed. "But don't worry. They're alright now." She told him calmly, to which Harry sighed relief to.

"Oh, it's time for your medicines! I'll be right back. And I think you and Harry would like to talk in private for a bit." Wendy smiled, before leaving to get the medicines. Harry watched her leave, before looking at Professor Dumbledore.

"So, why do I have so many treats?" Harry asked blatantly. "No one knows what happened between you and Professor Quirrell that night. So naturally, everyone knows." Dumbledore explained, with a slight shrug at the end.

"And the Stone?" Harry asked immediately. Dumbledore placed his hand up to hush the boy. "It has been destroyed. I had a little chat with my friend Nicholas Flamel, and we agreed it was best..." Dumbledore walked over to Harry and took a seat next to him. "All around."

"But Mister Flamel… He'll die won't he?" Harry asked, worried. "He has enough elixir to set things in order." The wise headmaster explained calmly. "But yes, he will die." Harry sat there for a bit, thinking about his next question. "But… how did the Stone end up in my pocket sir? What I saw in the mirror…"

"Ah, you see my dear boy, those who wanted to find the Stone, find it but not use it, will be able to get it. That is one of my brilliant ideas." Dumbledore whispered with a chuckle. "And between you and me, that is saying something." Harry chuckled a bit at his superior. He then looked down at his sheets with a bit of realisation in his eyes. "Does that mean, with the Stone gone, Voldemort can never come back?"

Dumbledore hummed a bit, avoiding Harry's eyes. "Ah, I'm afraid…. There are ways in which he can return." Harry looked down, defeat looming in his eyes. "Harry, did you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to touch you?" Harry looked up and shook his head. "It was because of your mother." Harry looked at Dumbledore, confused.

"She sacrificed yourself for you. And that act, leaves a mark." Harry hastily placed his hand on his scar, feeling the scab and skin on his fingers. "No no Harry. This kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin." Harry looked down, thinking. "And what is that sir?"

"Love, Harry." Dumbledore answered. "Love." Dumbledore smiled and patted him softly on the head.

"Harry!"

Natsu, Happy, and Lucy ran up to the bed, Harry both shocked and glad to see them. "Hey guys…" He smiled, darting between the two. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked. "We heard what happened. Came to see if you were alright." Lucy answered, one hand on the strap of her bag.

"We got you this!" Natsu lifted up a huge chocolate egg, about the size Harry's stupid cousin. Harry dropped his jaw at the egg. "Everyone we know contributed to making the egg! And they made it with no magic whatsoever!" Happy chirped, raising a paw.

"Wow…. Thank you guys…." Harry gasped, as Natsu placed it with the other gifts and gave it a pat. "Welp, we better get going! Let you rest." Natsu smiled. "See you later Harry." Lucy waved with the hand that held her satchel.

As they left, Harry looked down at Natsu's ankle and noticed something…. He was limping a bit. He looked at Lucy, noticing that her right side was bulkier than usual…. Like something was tucked under her robe. Also her right arm wasn't seen hanging out the sleeve.

Dumbledore looked at them leave, then back at Harry. He stood up and smiled. "Ah Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans!" Harry snapped back to Dumbledore, as he was picking up the carton. "I was unfortunate in my youth to stumble across a vomit flavoured one. Ever since then, I lost my tastings for them…. Well, I suppose one can't hurt…" Harry looked at Dumbledore, as he scraped through the box. He then finally took one out and popped it in his mouth. "Mm. At last. Earwax." Harry giggled, and watched Dumbledore leave.

Harry walked out of the infirmary, Hermione and Ron talking on the balcony. Harry smiled, as his two best friends noticed him, and smiled. "You alright there Ron?" Harry asked. "Alright. You?" Harry shrugged at Ron's question. "Alright. And you Hermione." Hermione smiled. "Never better."

As they made their way to the final feast, Hermione talked about a dream that she had. "It was definitely odd. I fell asleep after you entered the last chamber. I dreamt that I was being carried. By figures in white." She explained. "And the strange thing was, I felt like I knew them." Harry looked at Hermione, then at Ron.

"Hermione… I don't think that was a dream. During my fight with Quirrell, four figures in white saved me. It was incredible! They could use magic! Without wands!" Ron and Hermione stopped, and looked at Harry, not believing what he said. "Magic without wands? That's impossible Harry." Ron scoffed, doubtful.

"But it's true guys!" Harry argued. "Hermione, you believe me, right?" Hermione hummed and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, there are some groups that can use magic without wands…" Harry felt a ping of hope, knowing he wasn't wrong. "But no one but Dumbledore can use magic without their wands. Or so I've read." Harry could feel his spirits plummel a bit.

"Don't worry Harry. Maybe you were hallucinating." Ron reasoned. "But Hermione saw them, and I saw them. So we can't be." Harry argued back. Ron rattled his brain for a good counter-argument. "If I see it, I'll believe it." He finally decided, before walking again, his friends following close behind.

The Grand Hall was decorated with the flags of the four houses. Everyone was smiling, eating and laughing away, excited for their long break. "Hey guys! Over here!" Natsu waved, lamb in hand, Ron's brothers, Seamus and Neville waving as well. "You're just in time! Their about to announce the House Cup winners."

As Fred finished his sentence, a bell tone from McGonagall's glass could be heard. Everyone shushed and looked at the front. "Another year has passed. And now as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus…" Everyone took a deep breath and gulped.

"In fourth place Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points."

Everyone clapped, but Gryffindor was upset, clapping slowly, and throwing things on the table. But unnoticeable of course. Natsu was annoyed, as he hated to be in last place. But he somehow refrained himself.

"In third place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two points."

Gray snickered a bit, knowing that with this information, he could pick on Natsu that his house was stronger than his.

"In second place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twenty six points."

Lucy was shocked a bit when they got second place. Despite all the blunders she made during that first day…. It all seemed to have gone away. She smiled, happy with the results.

"And in first place, with four hundred and seventy two points… Slytherin."

Slytherin bolted up and cheered, banging the table and whooping. Hermione leant on her hand, not bothering to clap. Draco gave Ron a snarking stare, Natsu mad that Gajeel was better than him. Which Gajeel laughed with all the teasing coming down Natsu's way. Snape clapped stiffly, looking like he was content, but at the same time, knew that it wasn't the end.

"Yes yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin, HOWEVER!" Everyone stopped cheering and looked at the Headmaster. "Recent events must be taken into account. And so, last minute points will be added."

Everyone looked around, confused at what was happening.

"To Miss Hermione Granger. For her use of cool intellect, while others were in great peril. Fifty points." Everyone cheered, Harry patting her on the back. "Second, to Mister Ronald Weasley. For the best game of chess, that Hogwarts has seen, in so many years… Fifty points." Everyone cheered, Ron and Harry surprised. "And third, to Mister Harry Potter. For pure love, and outstanding courage…. I award Gryffindor house… sixty points."

Everyone clapped, Gryffindors cheering loudly. "We're in tie with Slytherin!" Hermione noted excitedly. "Wait, we are?!" Natsu asked, shocked. "And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies…. But risk of war to stand up to your friends…. I award ten points… to Neville Longbottom."

Neville couldn't believe it. It was only after he heard the cheering and clapping with pats on the back from Natsu that he realised….that he helped Gryffindor win…

Draco looked around, biting his lip.

"Assuming that my calculations are correct, a change of decoration is in order." Dumbledore clapped his hands, the flags flapping in the wind, before all of them changing to the Gryffindor colour and house emblem.

"Gryffindor wins the House cup!"

Gryffindor leaped in happiness and cheers. Finally, after all that time… Gryffindor had won! Lucy smiled and laughed, happy for the Red house.. Gray and Gajeel sighed, a bit sad that they couldn't tease Natsu with this. " _Oh well, guess there would be another time."_ They thought. Natsu laughed, happy that they got first place.

Everyone threw their hats into the air, symbolising their graduation. But Draco slammed his down to the ground, grumbling. Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione were surrounded by their housemates, giving them a pat on the back. Harry looked at Hagrid, smiling the biggest smile ever. Hagrid nodded at him, clapping towards him, before Harry went back to cheering with his house.

The next day, everyone lined up at the station, ready to board the Hogwarts Express. "Come on now. Hurry up or you'll be late." Hagrid clapped and rubbed his hands together, before noticing Lucy, Gray, Gajeel, and the exceeds trying to pull Natsu onto the train.

"Come on Natsu! We gotta go!" Happy grunted, straining from the pull. "No way!" Natsu whined back, holding onto a fixed bench. "Stop it right now Natsu, and get in the train!" Lucy scolded, pulling her with the free hand she had. "No no no no no no no no no!" Natsu refused. "You're gonna attract a crowd at this rate! Now get in!" Gray yelled. "I don't care!" Natsu cried. "Listen Salamander, if you don't let go right now, I'm gonna punch you in the face! Even I have motion sickness, and I don't care!" Gajeel shouted, not wanting to put up with this crap.

Lily sighed and let go of Natsu. "I didn't want to do this…" He muttered, as he flew up to Natsu's injured ankle, and twisted it slightly. "YEOW!" Natsu yelped, as he let go to tend to his ankle. But as he let go, everyone pulling him flopping down underneath him.

"Oh, sorry." Lily sweat dropped, looking at the mess he made. Hagrid chuckled at the scene, watching the undercover students drag the now unconscious Natsu on board the train. "Come on, hurry up." Hagrid gently brushed the children in the train, smiling at Harry, who stopped. Hermione, who was already on the train, turned around telling him to get a move on. "One minute." Harry promised, running up to Hagrid.

"Though' without saying goodbye did ya?" Hagrid chuckled, digging through his pockets. He pulled out a red book, with a beautiful gold and three dimensional design. He opened it, and there was a picture, of him as an infant with his mother and father.

He smiled and nodded at the photo, his parents waving and looking at baby Harry, kissing him. He closed the book, and thanked Hagrid, before giving him the biggest hug he could muster. Hagrid chuckled, before letting go.

"You'd better skedaddle. Oh! And if that cousin of yours Dudley, is giving you any grief... You could always threaten him with a pair of ears with that tail." Hagrid chuckled. "But Hagrid, you're not allowed to use magic outside of school. You know that." Harry told him. "Oh I know, but your cousin don't know that now does he?" Hagrid winked.

Harry smiled, as Hagrid gestured his head towards the train. Harry ran back to his friends, who were waiting for him at the door. "Feels a bit strange going home, doesn't it." Hermione hummed. "I'm not going home." Harry smiled, looking at Hogwarts, smiling. "Not really." The whistle blew for the train to depart. Harry stepped into the door, closing it behind. Hagrid waved as the train moved into motion, Harry waving back. As the train disappeared, Hagrid made his way back to Hogwarts. After all.

Much had to be done for next year.

Lucy sighed, looking out the window, the mountains rolling by. "I wonder what this Muggle World is going to be like…" She told her peers. "Well, according to everyone, they cannot know about magic. So we will have to refrain ourselves from that." Lily said. "So you and Happy will be hidden?" Lucy asked. "Yes. Speaking of which, Dumbledore set up residences for us in the Muggle World to spare us from finding a place." Lily told her.

"Well, it's going to be an interesting experience, that's for sure." Gray snickered. "Do you think the others will be alright?" Lucy asked, turning her head towards Gray. "Of course! After all…"

Erza watched the smoke of the train disappear into the mountains, all her guildmates and master smiling as they all individually watched the train leave. "They're crazy strong." Gray finished. "I understand that, but I'm a bit worried they'll over do it is all." Lucy confessed. "I'm more concerned about those two…" Gray muttered.

Lucy and Gray panned watching Gajeel and Natsu puff up their cheeks with vomit and sickness. "Oh yeah…. Shame we don't know Troia yet…" Lucy sighed.

"Hello! Would you like-"

"A bucket! I need a bucket! The windows are shut! I need a bucket!" Natsu pleaded with the nice lady who was bringing snacks around. "Natsu! Stop harassing her!" Lucy scolded. "But I-BLEAH!"

"KYAAAA!"

"Oh ew Natsu!"

"Will you get a grip on yourself already!"

"You made her run away! I was hoping for something fish like!"

"Oh no, not you too!"

"Bllleah!"

"ARGH! Not in my bag!"

"You have a bag?! I need that!"

"Buzz off Salamander I was here first!"

"DRAGON SLAYERS ARE DISGUSTING!"

Yep, and interesting experience alright….


	27. A Separate World

Lucy patted down her pink dress and tied a blue bow into her side pony tail. She looked at herself in the mirror, flashbacking to the days at her mansion with her mother, father and her beloved little sister Michelle. She stared at the mirror feeling that, in her new body, those events happened like yesterday.

" _Now stopping at Platform 9 ¾ . Please be ready to collect your luggage and dress accordingly."_

Lucy stepped off the train first, holding her freshly cleaned bag that she forced Natsu and Gajeel to clean. Gray stepped off behind her, hands behind his head. He wore his the outfit he used to wear under Ur's training in the mountains, but with a few slight changes to match his age.

Lucy sighed and stroked her injured arm. "Hey, is your arm hurting again?" Gray asked, turning his head towards her. "Yeah. Luckily Wendy was there as soon as possible, so it hurts less than it would…" Lucy smiled softly.

"Yeah! Sweet freedom!" Natsu grinned as he stopped at the door, hands punching the air. Lucy stared at Natsu a bit, not to make of his fashion choices of a tight pink jumper top with jeans and sneakers.

"Quit hogging the door you moran!" Gajeel yelled behind him, kicking Natsu off. Natsu flung forward, his face skidding the ground. Students walking by quickly jumped out of the way, screaming out of fright. "What the hell you Metal Face?!" Natsu jumped up, bearing his teeth at Gajeel.

Gajeel cocked his head to the side, giving the full delinquent look of his white top, leather jacket, ripped jeans and sneakers. "Some of us want to get off too ya know!" He sneered.

"Will you two knock it off for once?!" Lucy yelled at them, her free arm tensing at her side. As the two were about to duke it off, Natsu could feel his collar being tugged. "Alright Natsu, that's enough. We don't want to make a scene on the first day here." Gray sighed. Gajeel snickered, winning the battle. "Same to you Gajeel." Lily sighed, his arms folded

"Anyway, where is here?" Gray asked, looking around. "Platform 9 ¾ ." Lucy answered. "Platform 9 ¾ ? That's a weird platform number." Gray huffed with a smile. "So anyway, how do we get out?" Lily asked, turning his head from side to side.

"Hmm…." Everyone looked around, looking for someway to get out. Suddenly, Lucy noticed a group of students running into a column with their items, before vanishing through the illusion. "Uh, I think I found it…." Lucy pointed to the doorway, her eye twitching from surprise, blue lines running down her eyes. Everyone looked at where Lucy was pointing and watched the students exit through the supposed door. "Oh." All the boys muttered, the same look as Lucy.

The four students stood in front of the doorway, their luggage sitting in the trolley in front of them. "Alright. Before do this, remember we are entering a world where no one knows magic exist. So remember, Lily and Happy, no talking or flying at all. As for you three, please refrain yourself from fighting." Lucy sighed, leaning forward to address the boys.

"Yeah yeah." Gajeel gruffed. "Alright. Everyone ready?" Gray smiled, looking at his team mates. Happy and Lily slid into Natsu and Gajeel's bags respectively and poked their heads out a bit. "We are now." Natsu grinned, looking at Happy, and then the wall.

Gray nodded, and ran through the wall first at full sprint. As he leapt through, his vision pooled through, revealing a more grey, lifeless train station. With the exceptions of the Hogwarts students leaving with their families. Muggle borns probably.

Gray hummed and looked around. Odd that there weren't many people at a train station. He stared around a bit more, before he felt a thud digging into his back. "Ooof!" He grunted. "Hey! Watch it you fire breath!" Gray growled, sitting up immediately. "Well stop staring at the birdies you frosty moran!" Natsu shouted back. "What was that?!"

 _BANG!_

"GYAH!"

"OOF!"

"Hey! Watch it you frickin morons!" Gajeel yelled immediately, jumping up straight. "What was that?!" Gray and Natsu gritted in unison. The three began to bicker about whose fault it was as Lucy leapt through and saw the scene. Even though there weren't many people here, the people that were here were turning a few heads. Lucy sighed and facepalmed. "Why do I even try…." She muttered.

"That's it! You two are going down!" Gray decided, lifting his fist to attack. "In your dreams ice princess!" Natsu yelled, taking a fighting stance. "As if! I'll be the one remaining!" Gajeel said with determination, cracking his knuckles.

"STOP THEM!"

Before the three could take it physically any further, three big security guards came out of nowhere and pinned them down hard. "Gah!" Happy gasped, squished in the backpack between Natsu and the security man. Lily just hummed in annoyance, holding his breath the best he could.

"You three are under arrest for causing a commotion and scaring the passengers!" One of the security guards declared as he picked Gray up and lead him off, Natsu and Gajeel not far behind. "What the-?! Let go of me!" Natsu demanded, squirming.

"Oh honey, are they in your class?" Lucy tensed up, as she heard the muggle mother. "N-no! Of course not!" The student replied, clearly lying. "Good. I don't want you around ruffians like them, you hear me?" The mother told her child strictly as they walked off.

Lucy looked down, ashamed of her friends and how they were representing Hogwarts and even Fairy Tail. Even though no one knew of Fairy Tail.

"I demand to see my lawyer!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs. "You don't even know what a lawyer is Natsu!" Gray yelled from behind. "Let alone have one!" Gajeel added. "I know what is is! Hermione told me!" Natsu argued back as they were lead away.

 _ **A Few Hours Later**_

"I can't believe you three!" Lucy scolded as they walked up the stairs. "I told you specifically not to fight, and the first thing you do is fight!" She yelled, her face quite mad. "Sorry…" The three boys mumbled. Lucy sighed, and looked up as they exit was right there.

"Alright. We're going into a new world. Even though we may be surprised, please refrain from acting like lunatics." She reminded them. "Who do you think we are Lucy? We can take it." Natsu comforted her. "I beg to differ…" Lucy mumbled before turning to the surface.

"Alright, let's do this." She sighed, and stepped up. Lucy's eyes widened at the sheer environment around her. She had never seen anything like it before!

Tall buildings!

Cars that don't run on an SE plug or known magical sources!

Lucy turned at a man that walked by, wondering what that metal box near his ear was!

People overflowing the streets, unlike Magnolia had ever seen!

"Woah! What on earth is this?!" Everyone crowded around Natsu's back, piling on top of him. "Eeeeh! What is that?!" Gray gawed, pressing his hands and face at the window. "I heard of these! These are called Televisions, or TV for short!" Lucy gasped, looking at the moving picture boxes. "It's like a Vision Lacrima, but not!" She continued, smiling. "They stand in front of a camera, and they act out shows and skits, or even real life events!" Everyone oohed at the information.

"Hey, what about that?!" Natsu pointed at a red box with windows, on top of it saying "Telephone". Gajeel opened up the door, everyone looking around. "Quite small. Though I wonder what that is…" Gajeel wandered inside and picked up an arch like item with hemispheres on top and bottom.

"10p to use…" Gray read on the side, then poked his head in the box. "What's 10p?" Gray asked. "I think that means 10 pence… It's the Muggle's Currency…" Lucy told him. "Where can we find that?" Gajeel asked, turning around, placing the phone down.

Natsu suddenly pulled a silver coin imprinted "Ten" and looked on with a dumb look on his face. "Natsu! Where did you find that?!" Lucy yelled at him. "It was on the lying there on the street. It's 10p right?" Natsu grinned and giddily put the coin in the slot. "Alright, let's see what this can do!" Natsu's itchy fingers picked up the phone, and began to press random numbers.

 _Riiiing!_

 _Riiiing!_

"Oh, it's ringing. What does that mean?" Natsu wondered. " _Hello who is this?"_ A female voice asked in a posh accent. "Oh, someone's talking through!" Natsu gasped, pointing at the phone. " _Who is this?"_ The voice asked again. "Hey, is this a muggle?!" Natsu asked excitedly through the phone. Lucy jolted back and began to yell at him. "Come on Luce, let me play!" Natsu whined, as he shut the door on her and locked it. "What the-! NATSU! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Lucy demanded, banging on the door.

" _A-Am I a what sir?!"_

"A muggle."

" _How dare you! You are going to get quite the the earful from my husband! Vernion!"_

" _What is it my Petunia?"_

" _What is it mother?"_

" _Here! Deal with this prank caller!"_

Natsu immediately dropped the phone and ran as far away as he could from the box, knowing he was in trouble. "What the-! Natsu! Where are you going?!" Gray called after him. Lucy turned around and looked at the dangling phone. She picked it up and slowly put it towards her ear.

" _\- AND IF SO MUCH THINK OF DISTURBING US AGAIN I'LL-"_

Lucy immediately held the phone as far away as she could, and quickly put it back into the position they found it in. She sighed a tired puff and facepalmed for the third time that day. "How long until this day is over….?" She muttered.

The four continued to walk through London, admiring everything around them. From the fashion, to the food, to the technology of this Muggle World. Lucy was in love with Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. She could stand in those spots forever and stare at those monuments. For Gray and Natsu it was the River Thames, as it reminded them of the river that they used fight by. Gajeel's favorite was The Tower of London, as Lucy explained how people used to be tortured. He knew he shouldn't like these kinds of things anymore, but he still did a bit.

"No way…" Lucy's jaw dropped at the sight of this old building. "This is the London Library! I read all about this place in the Fairy Room!" Lucy's excited feet ran up the stairs and opened the doors. Natsu groaned and leaned back. "Lucy, haven't you read enough books?" He complained, folding his arms. "Not in another world with new authors and classics! Come on! It'll be fun!"

"She does have a point…" Gray hummed. Gajeel tisked and followed Lucy. "Just once." He made clear. "GAJEEL YOU TRAITOR!" Natsu yelled. "Come on, maybe there's something you like in there." Gray shrugged, following the other two in. Natsu grumbled a bit, then stomped into the library.

Lucy began to go crazy, grabbing all the books that grabbed her attention; Pride and Prejudice, The Jane Austen Series, Nineteen Eighty Four, Gulliver's Travels, Wuthering Heights. The three boys watched her zooming to and fro until she stopped. Her eye caught one book in particular. She ran up to the book and took it out.

"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle?" She flipped onto the back and read the blurb of the book. "A detective story?! Oh wow! This could help me with my novel!" Lucy's eyes began to glitter and began to skim through the book.

Natsu groaned, and looked to the side. He saw a plastic box with a picture of an old man on the side. Natsu took out the box and tossed it up and down a bit, wondering what it was. He then grabbed the side and pulled it open. Inside was a black box with two white circles inside.

He took out the box and tossed it up and down, observing it and hitting it on the shelves. "U-Um sir! Please do not damage the VHS tape!" A lady cried out, touching Natsu slightly Natsu the shoulder. "Oh, sorry." Natsu apologise, putting the VHS back in the box. "If you wish to watch that, we have an Audio and Visual Section that way." The lady pointed to the side, a TV with a VHS player underneath.

Natsu picked up the VHS player, and sniffed it a bit. He put it back down, and grabbed the VHS out. He zoomed around the TV and VHS player, trying to figure out how it worked. He banged the VHS into the screen, then tried to force it through top of the VHS player. "D-Do you need help sir?" The lady asked, a bit confused at this boy. "Yeah, how does this work?" Natsu asked her.

Gray strolled around the area, wondering what else there in the library. He then came across a white boxy thing with a black front and a rectangular thing with buttons with letters and numbers. Gray touched it a bit, and played with the buttons a bit. It made a big click clack sound. But as soon as he touched the long blank button at the bottom, the box lit up with a blue screen and icons in the corner. Gray began to press the buttons randomly again, trying to figure out what to do from here. His eye then turned to a circular item next to the board. His hand moved it, and an arrow zoomed across the screen. Gray stared at the screen then grinned a bit. It was time to play.

Gajeel, as usual, was just doing nothing. Just lazing around on the lounge across Lucy, who was reading Sherlock. "Wow! This book is amazing! Such amazing twists and turns in the story and amazing mysteries!" Lucy hugged the book and zoomed back to the section and grabbed the all the Sherlock Holmes books and ran to the counter. "I'd like to borrow all these books please!" She smiled.

"Alright! I got what I want. Let's go!" Lucy smiled excitedly. "Finally." Gajeel sighed and stood back up. "Where's Gray and Natsu?" Lucy asked, looking around. Gajeel shrugged. "Gray! Where are you?!" Lucy called out.

"Shhh!"

"S-Sorry…" Lucy whispered. "Gray?!" Lucy whispered, looking around. Lucy looked around the corner, and saw Gray at the box, clicking away. "Gray? Are you alright?" Lucy asked. "Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine. Just playing with this." Gray told her, as he looked back on the screen. "Well, we can go now to see our apartments." Lucy told him. "Alright." Gray sighed, standing up and stretching.

"Now where's Natsu…" Lucy wondered, walking the other way. Lucy turned around and saw Natsu at the TV, sitting forward, excited of what was on the screen. "What are you watching Natsu?" Lucy asked, her eyes at the screen as well. "Only the greatest show ever!" Natsu yelled excitedly.

"Shh!"

"What's it about?" Lucy asked lowly.

"It's about this mysterious guy that travels through space and time with a blue box and solves mysteries while kickin alien butt! And the box looks so much bigger on the inside!" Everyone looked at Natsu confused. "I never really imagined you into this kind of thing…" Gray muttered. "It's not,but it's strangely captivating somehow." Natsu drooled, staring at the screen. "Anyway, let's get going to our new apartments. Come on." Lucy gestured to the entrance. "Alright." Natsu sighed, standing up and stretching.

"Thank you for the books!" Lucy thanked again, before the four of them walked out.

"Right, according to the address is 12 Grimmauld Place." Gajeel told them, looking at the address Dumbledore gave them. "Oh, that's that place here." Lucy pointed at the brown building on their left. All of them turned around, facing their new residence for the summer. "Hm, looks fine." Natsu muttered. "So Lucy's in Number 1435, Natsu in 1436, Gray in 1437, and I'm in 1438." Everyone nodded and went through the gate into the building.

Gajeel opened the door to his apartment and looked around. It was a bit small and too cottagie for his tastes. Lily hopped out and looked around the apartment. "Hm, this looks quite accommodating." Gajeel grunted and closed the door behind him. "I'm going to explore the other rooms." Lily decided, walking down the hall.

Gajeel tossed his bag on the couch and walked towards the window. He then stopped, feeling like someone was behind him. His hand slid in his jacket for his wand, and whipped out and snapped behind him. There stood an old man with some sort of eyepatch, pointing a wand back at Gajeel.

"Are you the Fairy Tail member Dumbledore told us about?" He said with a grunt. "So what if I am." Gajeel snarled back.

"So Dumbledore did send you." The blond woman told Lucy, who was shocked at how she got in. "S-So you're our ally?" She asked the mysterious woman.

"Yes. We came to tell you how to run things here." A man with long red hair and beard explained to Gray. "Explain what?" Gray asked, looking at the man, who somehow reminded him of Susan somehow.

"We came to talk to you about our order, and the enemy we are fighting. It is time we explained to you fully about what is to come." Happy looked at the unexpected visitor, wondering what he was talking about. "B-But Professor Dumbledore… Haven't you already explained this to us?" Natsu stuttered. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Not fully my boy. I had summoned your master and your friends to protect Harry from Voldemort. Therefore, I think it appropriate to make you members." Happy and Natsu looked at each other, then back at Dumbledore. "Members of what?"

"The Order of the Phoenix."


	28. Heists, Fire, and a Flying Car?

Lucy couldn't sleep one bit. Her eyes twitched as she laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. She was so annoyed. Why? Because Natsu was snoring through these paper thin walls. As he has for the past two months of Summer Vacation. "I swear to all things good and mighty, if he does this tomorrow night…." She gritted.

 _Stut stut stut stut VROOOOOM…._

Lucy ignored the noise, as it was probably a car driving late at night.

"Natsu."

Lucy sat up straight, knowing that DEFINITELY wasn't her imagination.

"Natsu, wake up!"

"Yawn...What…? Ron? Fred? George? What are you doing here? And what are you riding?"

"Harry's in trouble! We need your help!"

"Harry's in trouble? With what? Oh! And what's with this flying car! It looks awesome!"

 _"Flying car...?"_ Lucy thought to herself, thinking she must've misheard. Or maybe she didn't. At this point, she didn't know anymore...

"We'll talk about that later! Harry's uncle is refusing to let him go!"

"And you're the only one crazy enough to use force if needed!"

"Harry's in trouble? I'm coming!"

"Come on, hop in! Bring Happy too!"

"Come on Happy. We're going to rescue Harry!"

"What?! But what about-"

 _SLAM!_

 _Stuttututtut VROOOOM!_

Lucy immediately opened her window and looked out the window. What she saw, was a blue car flying away into the distance. "...Does he ever think before doing things like this?" She muttered, watching the car drive off.

Harry was fast asleep, trying to ignore the tragedy of today. Because of his unexpected visitor, his family blamed him for what happened and barred him in his room. It was clear his family didn't want him out. Ever.

 _Stut stut stut stut stut VROOM stut stut stut stut…._

Harry slowly woke up to the faint sounds of some kind of engine. He sat up slowly and put his glasses on. He flicked the sheets off and walked slowly towards the window. He squinted into the starry night, and swore that he saw a star moving. As he looked closer, the star became closer and closer, until he saw the star become a car.

He slowly backed up as the headlights blared into his eyes, the car parked against his barred window. His eyes were surprised, not knowing what to make of this. Once his eyes adjusted back, he saw Ron and his brothers smiling and waving.

"Hey Harry!" Ron waved. "Ron! Fred! George!" Harry smiled. "Don't forget Happy and Natsu." Fred chuckled, gesturing his head back. Harry looked at the back seat, Natsu draping out of the window about to be sick. "Hi Harry!" Happy waved. "H-Hey Harry…" Natsu gestured weakly, saluting. "W-What are you guys doing here?" Harry asked, looking at his friends and housemates. "We're here to rescue you! Grab your trunk!" Ron told him.

Harry hastily packed his bag and carried it to the window. Meanwhile Ron hooked the bars attached to the back of the car. "You'd better stand back." Ron advised him, Harry nodded and stepped back. Fred stepped on the gas and the car moved forward, breaking the window.

Petunia shreaked in horror, shaking her husband at what she had heard. "What, what?!" Vernon exclaimed, sitting up.

"Go go go!" George prompted, Fred opening the boot. Harry hastily put the trunk in the boot.

"What's going on?!" Dudley asked, coming out of his room. His mother grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him in. Vernon fumbled with the keys for the locks he placed on the door earlier.

"Hurry up Harry!" Ron waved his hand towards him, as Harry handed Hedwig in first. Harry sharply turned around as the door burst open. "Pertunia! He's escaping!" Veron flew himself at Harry and grabbed his ankle as Harry jumped into the car.

"You're not going anywhere boy!" Vernon gritted. "Let go of me!" Harry demanded, shaking his leg. "Natsu!" George prompted. Natsu leapt out of the car through the window and punched Vernon hard in the face, forcing to let go of Harry. Petunia and Dudley gasped and stepped back. "You little runt!" Vernon leaped back up and attempted to grab Natsu.

But Vernon was too late. Natsu jumped out of the way in time and leaped out. As he did, Vernon put too much momentum into his leap and fell out the window. His wife and son screamed and ran to the window to make sure he was alright.

As Vernon looked up at the car, he got quite the shock. A blue cat with wings was holding the boy in the air. Natsu gave Vernon a cheeky smile and farewell salute as the car drove away. Vernon stood up, a bit dazed of what happened. He growled as the car flew away into the distance.

"Oh by the way Harry. Happy birthday." Ron wished. Harry smiled, Natsu smiling with them as he flew next to them with Happy.

The next morning, the five of them finally reached their destination. The Burrows. The boys silently parked the car in the garage, Happy tired of his flight. As soon as they hit the ground, Happy fell asleep in Natsu's arms. "Hey, do you guys have a bed for Happy?" Natsu asked as soon as they stepped out of the car. "We can figure something out. Come on, let's go." Fred smiled and lead the way.

"Shh, quiet, quiet." Fred warned the others as they came in. Harry looked around the house, amazed at what was happening. Everything was done with magic. Knitting, cleaning, but his favourite item was the clock like object that told where everyone was. He watched as Fred, George, and Ron's hands moved from lost to home.

"It's not much. But it's home." Ron sighed, looking around as he munched on a cookie. "I think it's brilliant." Harry grinned, Natsu resting Happy on an empty chair.

"WHERE HAVE YOU THREE BEEN?!" A boisterous voice demanded, a red haired lady marching down the stairs with her hands on her hips. Natsu jolted a bit from her yell, as his ears were sensitive. The three boys looked at their food and immediately hid it behind their backs.

"Oh, Harry. How lovely to see you again. Oh and you must be Natsu. My name is Molly Weasley. Heard a lot about you from Ron! You must stay for breakfast! I want to know all about you!" Natsu chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his head. "Well, that's definitely an offer I can't refuse."

Molly smiled, before turning back to her sons. "Beds empty. No note! CAR GONE!" The three boys looked down in shame as she told them off. "You could have died! Or been seen!" She continued. "Oh, but it's not your fault Harry." Molly smiled. "But they were starving him mum! Bars on his window and everything!" Ron argued, Harry nodding.

"Well, you'd better hope I don't put bars on your window Mister Weasley!" Molly scolded, pointing at Ron. Fred and George looked at their little brother, trying not to laugh. "Come on Harry. Time for a spot of breakfast. And you, Natsu." Molly pointed at Natsu and patted him on the back and chest as he stepped forward. "I want to hear all about you! Is it true you were raised by a dragon?" Molly asked, all of them making their way to the kitchen. "Yeah!" Natsu grinned, sitting down.

"Here you go you two! Tuck in! That's it." Molly smiled, treating to Natsu and Harry. "Mummy! Have you seen my jumper?" A red haired girl asked, running up to Molly. "Oh, I think it was on the cat." She told her daughter. "Speaking of which, Natsu, why is your cat blue? I've never seen anything like it."

As Natsu talked to Molly, the girl suddenly looked at Harry, her face becoming scared and shocked at the same time. "Hello." Harry smiled. The girl stepped back slowly, before bolting up the stairs. The twins snickered and looked back at their breakfast. "D-Did I do something?" Harry asked, looking around.

"Ginny. She's been talking about you all Summer. A bit annoying really…" Ron explained, before taking a mouthful.

"Morning Weasleys!" A cheery voice boomed through the door.

"Hey dad!"

"Morning!"

"Hello Arthur."

Everyone grinned and went back to their food. "We had nine raids last night! Can you believe that! NINE!"

"Raids?" Harry asked Ron. "Mmm. Dad works at the Ministry of Magic. In the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Dad loves Muggles. Finds them fascinating."

The man walked over to his wife and gave her a good kiss on the cheek. He sighed happily as he sat down, observing his wonderful family. His eyes began to dart back and forth between his new guests.

"And who are you two?" He asked. "Natsu Dragneel sir!" Natsu smiled and waved. "Ah, the boy raised by a dragon! The boys can't stop talking about you! I tell you, if Charlie were here, he'd be tearing you apart with questions!" Arthur chuckled. "And you are?" He nodded to Harry.

"Oh. Harry Potter sir."

Arthur's face became surprised and gasped. "Good lord… Are you really?" Harry smiled and nodded. "Ron can't stop talking about you. When did you arrive?"

"This morning." Molly replied. "In fact, your sons took that enchanted car of yours and flew it from Surry and back last night." She continued, hands on her hips, looking at the boys. "Really? How'd it go?!" Arthur asked excitedly. The boys began to talk over each other to tell the story, only for Molly to whack him on the arm.

"Oh, I mean… That was very wrong of you, and you'd better not do it again." Ron smiled a bit at Harry, Harry smiling back in return. "Now, Harry, you must know all about Muggles." Harry looked at Arthur and nodded. Natsu looked up at his plate, darting his eyes from Harry to Arthur, interested in what was going to happen next.

"Tell me. What exactly is the function… of a rubber duck."

Natsu snorted a bit, trying not to laugh. Even though he was dumb, even Natsu knew how a rubber duck works. He used to have a rubber duck with his baths with Erza and Gray. Everyone looked at Natsu, confused why he snorted. "S-Sorry. I got something stuck in my throat." Natsu chuckled, before going back to his breakfast. "Well, um…" Harry stuttered.

 _Skreach!_

Everyone looked out the window to see an old crusty owl flying with letters in his mouth. "Oh, that would be Herald with the mail." Molly realised, putting her pan down. They all leaned forward to watch the owl fly in. Only for it to crash into the window. "Oooo…" They cringed.

"Mtow… Fetch the mail would you please Percy…" Molly asked, waving her hand to the window. Percy nodded and walked over to the window. "Come on Herold." Percy coaxed as Herald flew up, giving Percy the mail. "He's always doing that…" Fred sighed.

"Oh, it's our Hogwarts Letters. Natsu's and Harry's are here too." Percy gave everyone their letters and sat back down. "Dumbledore must know you two are here. Doesn't miss a trick that man." Arthur chuckled.

"Oh. This lot won't come cheap mum. The spell books alone are very expensive." George sighed, shaking his head. "We'll manage." Molly said, determinedly. She slowly grabbed the letter out of Harry's hands and looked at the contexts. "Hmm.. There's only one place we're gonna get all of this." Molly said with a smile.

"Where's that?" Natsu asked, his mouth full of toast and eggs. "Diagon Alley." Molly replied, smiling. "After breakfast, get your things boys. Ginny! Grab your cloak dear! We're going to Diagon Alley." Molly called up the stairs. "Yes mum!" Ginny called back down.

After breakfast, Harry and Natsu put on their Hogwarts cloaks and made their way to where everyone was gathering. Not before waking a sleepy Happy up. "Where are we going…." Happy asked, rubbing his eyes. "Diagon Alley to get our books." Natsu told him, standing next to Ron.

"Everyone ready?" Arthur asked, adjusting his hat. "Yes dad." Ginny smiled. "Why are we here at the fireplace?" Natsu asked Ron, confused. "I thought we were going to Diagon Alley."

"Oh, we are, don't worry Natsu dear." Molly bubbled, coming down all clean and fresh. "Now, Harry you can go first. Natsu second." Molly offered, gesturing for Harry to come closer. "But mum, Harry's never gone by Floo Powder before." Ron pointed out.

"Floo powder?" Harry and Natsu asked Ron at the same time. "Well then Ron dear, you go first to show Harry how it's done." Ron nodded and stepped into the fire place. He then grabbed a handful of the powder that Molly gave him.

"Right, now step back." Molly ordered everyone. Everyone took a step back, preparing themselves. "Diagon Alley." Ron yelled out loud and dropped the powder in the fireplace. A green fire engulfed Ron, everyone flinching back.

As soon as the fire came down, Ron was gone. "Woah! That was awesome!" Natsu gawked, his fists close to his fists. "I wonder if I can eat the flames…." Natsu muttered, in audible to anyone else. "N-Natsu… c-can we just fly to Diagon Alley…?" Happy asked, timidly putting his paw up. "WHAT?! No way! I wanna try this! Besides, we don't know where Diagon Alley from here." Natsu told him. "Or how to get there at all…." Natsu muttered again.

"See Harry? It's easy. Come along." Molly smiled, calling Harry over. Harry stood there, scared and shocked. It was only until Natsu gave Harry a soft push that he snapped out of his trance and walked to the fireplace. "Come on dear." Molly smiled, gently pushing Harry into the fireplace. "Watch your head dear…" Molly warned.

Harry turned around, facing everyone in the family room. "Just grab some powder. There we go…." Harry sighed, the powder flowing out of his hands like sand. "Now say where you want to go and then drop the powder. And be very, VERY clear about the location. Alright dear. When you're ready." Molly cued, stepping back.

Harry sighed and looked forward, confidently. But scared at the same time. "Diagonally!" Harry dropped the powder his body, like Ron, engulfed in a green flame. Everyone flinched back once more, avoiding their eyes from the green flame as it was so bright. The fire finally died down. Everyone coughed and waved their hands in front of their faces. "W-What did he say dear…?" Molly asked. "Diagonally." Arthur repeated.

"I hope he did…" Molly muttered, concerned.


	29. Diagon Alley

**Q+A**

 **Q: Is this a Nalu Story?**

 **A: Yes and No. For now, Lucy and Natsu maintain their normal relationship. But as the characters grow older, they will be accustomed** **to romance with the rest of the characters.**

 **Q: Do I plan to do all seven books/movies**

 **A: Yes. Yes I do.**

 **Q: What do the Cloaks do?**

 **A: For those who still haven't figured it out, the cloaks restore them to their normal age and power. But only when the cloaks are on and hoods are up. Also if you're thinking "If that's the case they should whip Quirrell's butt easily," please note that I am aware of that kind of thinking and to be fair, they are exposed to new kinds of magic in this world. Also, the guy had Voldemort on his head.**

 **Anywho, that's all from me!**

 **Enjoy!**

"WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!" Natsu screamed, feeling the rush of falling in the dark. "AHHHHHHH!" Happy screamed, clawing onto Natsu's cloak, his head on green fire. Natsu felt his back hit hard on the ground, as he began to laugh. "That was AWESOME!" He grinned, sitting up. Happy was zoned out, not even noticing the green fire on his head. "Oh, let me get that for you buddy." Natsu noticed, patting Happy's head out. Natsu stood up and patted himself down.

"So this is Diagon Alley huh. Looks interesting." Natsu sighed. "Natsu!" He looked to his left, a red haired girl smiling and waving at him. "Oh, Hermione!" Natsu smiled, waving back. "Fancy seeing you here." He continued. "Why wouldn't I be here? This is where we get all our books." Hermione chuckled, amused by Natsu's confusion.

"Hey, have you seen Ron around? Or Lucy, Gray, or Gajeel?" Natsu asked, looking around. "Oh, Ron's in the book shop over there." Hermione pointed to the book shop with a large cue and group outside. "I think I saw Lucy in there as well. Not sure about Gray. And why do you want to see Gajeel?" Hermione asked. Natsu shrugged.

"Hello Happy. How are you?" Hermione smiled, giving him a stroke on the head. "G-Great…" Happy muttered. "What happened to him?" Hermione asked. "Floo powder." Natsu told her. "Oh." Hermione realised. Soon, her attention turned to behind Natsu. She smiled and waved, running behind Natsu. "Harry! Hagrid!" She smiled.

Natsu watched her tracks, and smiled. "Hey Harry! Hagrid!" Natsu smiled, walking up to them. "Hello Hermione! Natsu!" Hagrid beamed, nodding at the two. "It's great to see you Harry!" Hermione smiled. "It's great to see you too." Harry smiled back.

"Hey, why are your glasses broken?" Natsu pointed out. Clearly remembering they were in tact before Harry left. "Yeah Harry, what did you do to your glasses?" Hermione repeated. "Oh, well, um…." Harry stuttered. Hermione sighed and whipped out her wand. "Oculus Repairo." Harry jolted back, watching his glasses repair back to the way it was.

"I definitely need to remember that one." Harry told her, a bit surprised, Hermione chuckling. "You'll be alrigh' then Harry?" Hagrid asked, Harry simply giving a nod. "Righ'. I'll leave you to it." Everyone waved goodbye as Hagrid, looking for the items he required for the new year. "Come on. Everyone's been worried." Hermione scolded them playfully as she pulled the boys into the bookshop.

Inside was crowded, as if they were waiting for something or someone. "Natsu!" Natsu suddenly felt a tight pull on his neck. "Gwak!" Natsu gagged and stumbled into the line. He rubbed his neck and turned around angrily. "Hey! What do you think you're do-" Natsu immediately cut himself off, seeing a growling and non-amused group of Fairy Students. "Oh, hey guys."

"Where were you last night Flame Brain?! You just upped and disappeared!" Gray tsked in annoyance, his hands in his pockets, neck forward. "At least tell us where and what you were doing." Lucy sighed. "I was helping Harry escape." Natsu simply replied. "What?! From who?! Was it from…" Lucy looked around, making sure no one was listening. "...Him?" She whispered. "No. It was from his uncle. Apparently they don't like wizards, so they locked Harry in his room. So I helped the Weasleys break him out. And they offered me breakfast as well." Natsu calmly explained. Everyone sighed relief, knowing that he hadn't returned yet.

"Anyway, why are you guys here?" Natsu asked, looking at the front of the cue, trying to see what was happening. "Lucy dragged us here to see this guy." Gajeel grumbled, arms folded. "Gilderoy Lockhart. He's a famous autobiographer here." Lucy explained, leaning over and tippy toeing to see the front. "Autowha…?" Natsu repeated, tilting his head. "Autobiographer. Someone who writes about their life." Lucy repeated and explained.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Gilderoy Lockhart." Everyone looked forward, to see a blond haired man with a blue cloak exit from the back room. He waved and gave hand kisses to the crowd, and, in the opinion of all the boys and Lucy, gave the most cheesiest of smiles.

"Ugh. I feel all weird just looking at him." Natsu shivered.

"Natsu's right. I don't like that guy." Gray whispered, Gajeel nodding in agreement.

"I feel like my reputation would be ruined just by standing next to him…" Lucy sweatdropped.

"I feel like I want to be as far away from him as possible." Lily muttered.

"But he is a famous author. Maybe he had to practise so hard it ended up looking fake." Happy suggested.

"Make way there please! Let me by madam. Thank you! Excuse me little girl, this is for the Daily Prophet." Lockhart struck a heroic pose as the photographer brought the camera to his eye.

 _CLICK!_

 _FLASH!_

He gave a slight chuckle, before noticing one person. One he had heard stories about, but never imagined meeting. "It can't be…. Harry Potter?" He asked, staring at him. Harry stumbled back a bit, looking at Lockhart. "Harry Potter?! Excuse me Madam." The reporter instantly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him towards Lockhart, who instantly pulled him next to him.

"Nice big smile Harry! Together, you and I rate the front page."

 _CLICK!_

 _FLASH!_

"Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is. When young Harry Potter, stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning, to purchase my… Autobiography Magical Me. Ahahaha." All the girls, except Lucy, applauded at Lockhart's devilishly charming speech, as Harry tried to find a way out. Ron and the Fairies looking at each other with a weird look of disgust on their faces. Like "Why-are-people-buying-this?" Kind of look.

"Which incidentally, is currently celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list." As everyone applauded, Natsu sniffed the air, as if he recognised a smell. He slowly tilted his head up, noticing Draco leaning on the banister of the second floor, looking down on everyone. Natsu stared at him for a while, before going back to the front of the room.

"He had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving….." Lockhart clicked his fingers, his assistant immediately turning around to pick up something. Something heavy. "...With my entire collected works." The assistant handed Lockhart the books from the shelves and handed it to the cheesy author. "Free of charge. Ahahaha." Lockhart smiled as he put the books in Harry's arms, who looked like he was struggling to carry it.

Everyone applauded with a final flash of the camera, as Lockhart pushed Harry away. "Now." Lockhart took his seat and put his hands together, his face working its smoldering charm. "Ladies?"

"Oh Harry! Now give me those and I'll get them signed." Molly offered, taking the books off Harry. "All of you wait outside." She ordered her children. "That's it." She smiled, watching the children go. "Let's go too. I feel like I'm gonna get a tooth decay if I look at that smile one more time." Gray shivered, everyone nodding in agreement. The seven children managed to get out of the crowd, joining the twins and Percy who were meekly reading on the sidelines.

 _RIP!_

Everyone looked at the stairs, and saw a furious Draco march down the stairs with a ripped page of a book. "I'll bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco spat. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." He continued in an outrage. "And you…" Draco pushed Harry and Ron aside and strode up to Gajeel. "Why are you with them?" He demanded. Gajeel shrugged, and told him there was a crowd, he got curious and met them in pure coincidence.

Draco twisted his face, and strode away from Gajeel. He looked back at Harry Potter and gave him a snark look. "So where next to get even more recognition? Sugarplum's Sweet Shop? If you do I hope they'll give you Bertie Botts with nothing but Vomit and Earwax flavour." Draco taunted. "Leave him alone." Ginny gritted, stepping forward. "Look Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend." He teased.

Suddenly, a heavy cold object hit Draco's shoulder and pushed him to the side. "Now now Draco. Play nicely." Everyone looked at this new character. He had long blond hair and snake green eyes. The way he was dressed was one of wealth and nobility. He looked at the children and smiled uncomfortably. "Mister Potter." He started.

Harry stepped back a bit, looking at him with a feeling of discomfort. The man stopped smiling and extended his hand. "Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last." He introduced coldly. Harry grabbed his hand, not wanting to be rude. "Forgive me." Lucius pulled Harry closer and pushed back his hair with his serpent like cane to see the scar. "Your scar is legendary…." He whispered. "As of course is the wizard who gave it to you." He smiled.

Lucy's brain pinged at that line. Something about that line gave her a dangerous feeling about that man.

"Voldemort killed my parents." Harry said staily to him. "He was nothing more than a murderer." Lucius hummed, saying it was very brave of him to mention his name in public. Either that or Harry was foolish.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."

Lucius turned to the side, seeing Miss Granger standing there, her eyes full of fire. "And you must be… Miss Granger." Draco gave a little nod and looked at Hermione in disgust. "Yes. Draco has told me all about you. And your parents." Hermione looked behind her, everyone looking with her. Her parents standing there talking to Mister Weasley. "Muggles, aren't they?" He confirmed with slither in his voice. Hermione looked back at Lucius, breathing heavily.

"Let me see. Pink hair, scaley white scarf. You must be Natsu Dragneel. Heard you have quite…. The temper." Natsu stood there, not saying a word in the uncomfort of this man.

"Blond hair, brown eyes, bookworm. Lucy Heartfilia. Smart, but does not know when to hold back her magic. And therefore does not appreciate the rules." Lucy just breathed heavily, trying not to lose it.

"Stoic and a almost naked. Gray Fullbuster." Lucius chuckled. "What are you talking about…" Gray gritted. "Gray, clothes." Lucy sighed, Gray screaming a bit. As he put his clothes back on, he did not for a second take his eyes off Lucius, gritting and bearing.

"My, what an ugly face. Mister Redfox I presume. Doesn't care, always a ruffian. Perfect Slytherin material. But what would make it better was if you got rid of… that." Lucius circled Gajeel's face and gave a light tap on one of his piercings, before finally stopping at the Weasleys.

"Red hair, vacant expressions…" Lucius looked at Ron, then snatched a book from Ginny's basket, observing it. "Tattered second hand book…. You must be the Weasleys." He smiled with wide eyes.

"Why are you kids standing here? Come on let's go outside." Arthur asked, after pushing his way through the crowd. "Well well well. Weasley senior." Arthur looked up, his smile and cheerful expression gone. "Lucius." He nodded.

"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? With all those extra raids?" Lucius asked, trying to show interest, but could see that he wasn't at all. "I do hope they're paying you overtime… But judging by the state of this..." He held up Ginny's book and shook it in his face. "I'd say not." He smirked.

"What's the use in being a disgrace to the name of Wizard, if they don't even pay you well for it?" He said slyly. "We have a. VERY. Different idea about what disgraces the name of Wizard. Malfoy." Arthur told him firmly. "Clearly…." Lucius whispered.

He looked at Hermione's parents, still looking around. "Associating with Muggles…." He sighed and shook his head. He stepped forward and put the book back in Ginny's basket. "And I thought your family could sink no lower…." He whispered in Arthur's face.

Natsu's face became enraged. He stepped forward, wanting to beat this snob into the rubble. Only to be stopped by Ron who held his arm out to block Natsu from doing anything. "Please don't Natsu. We're used to this. Please just let it go." Ron whispered, pleading with him.

Arthur stood there silently, clearly angry. But kept himself calm and composed. "I'll see you at work." Lucius looked at Arthur one more time, before exiting the shop. Draco stepped down from the stairs and looked at Harry straight in the eye. "I'll see you at school." He said, the same tone as his father before giving everyone a death stare and left.

"That guy! I seriously want to punch him in the face!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs as he pushed his trolley into the station. "Natsu calm down." Lucy sighed. "How can you let him talk to you like that?" Gray asked, behind Ron. "Well, we wish we could do something…" Fred started. "But if we did we could be arrested." George finished. Gray looked at the twins behind him and sighed before looking forward again.

"Hey, Gajeel." Lucy whispered, tapping Gajeel on the arm. "Hm?" Gajeel hummed. "I think it's best this year to keep your distance from us. If we want to gain Malfoy's trust. Then we can see what's going on with that Lucius guy." Gajeel shrugged at Lucy's plan and speed walked ahead. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Lucy yelled after him. "You said keep a distance!" Gajeel yelled back, stopping. "Not now!" Lucy groaned, as the others caught up to him.

"Come on come on! The train's going to leave any minute!" Molly scolded, keeping the children on track. "Fred, George, Percy, you first!" The three boys nodded and ran through the podium, vanishing through. "Ginny you next." Ginny nodded and ran through after her brothers. Arthur and his wife ran in next to make sure Ginny would grab a seat in time.

Next was Lucy, Gray and Gajeel. As soon as they ran through, they left their bags in the care of the conductor and took their seats. "Phew! Made it in time!" Lucy stretched. "Hey wait a minute, where's flame brain?" Gray asked, looking around. "Didn't he follow us in?" Lucy asked. "Oh, don't tell me…"

She peeped out from a window looking at the platform, but strangely, he wasn't there. Then, she spotted the blue cat, scraping at the podium entrance. "Happy?! What are you doing?! Where's Natsu?!" She yelled out. "Oh Lucy! It's horrible! I flew through, but Ron, Harry, and Natsu didn't go through for some reason!" He yelled in her face after he flew up to tell her the story. "What?!" Lucy yelled.

 _CHOO!_

Lucy felt the jolt in the floor, the train slowly beginning to move. "Oh no…." She gasped. In the stir of the moment, she grabbed Happy and pulled him inside. "Sorry Happy. I know you want to find Natsu. But if we know him, he'll find a way. We also need to make sure you're safe so Natsu doesn't freak out." Lucy reasoned and brought him into the cabin, with a worried, yet understandable Happy.

"Why is the gateway not working?! Why can't we go through?!" Harry whispered in a panic, patting the wall down. "I don't know!" Ron panicked, doing the same thing. Natsu was still lying on the floor in a daze, the collision knocking him out a bit. "Natsu! Wake up!" Harry shook him, Natsu jolting up in a sharp reaction.

"Natsu, can you get through?" Ron asked, pointing at the gateway. Natsu stood up and put his hand on the stone. "Nope. It's sealed off. Want me to break it down?" Natsu asked, holding up his fist. "Are you insane?!" Harry whispered, giving a clear no.

The clock chimed, the three boys looking at the clock. It was eleven. "The train leaves exactly at eleven o'clock, we missed it!" Harry hissed, gesturing to the clock. "Hold on, if the entrance is sealed, then maybe mum and dad can't get back through." Ron gasped in that horrible realisation, rubbing his hand on the wall. "Maybe we should just wait by the car." Harry suggested, not knowing what else to do. Suddenly, Ron looked down, thinking. "Car…." He whispered back, looking at Harry and Natsu. The two other boys looked at each other in confusion, wondering what Ron was getting at. "Oh no…." Natsu gagged, already feeling sick.

The car began to levitate higher and higher off the ground. Natsu stuck with Hedwig in the cage. The car felt very bumpy, making Natsu feel more sick than ever. And with the splut of the engine, they began to move. Harry could feel the bumps as they moved forward, Natsu on the edge of throwing up.

"There we go. Now all we need to do is find the Hogwarts Express and follow it." Ron explained calmly. "Ron, do you know how to fly this thing?" Harry asked, thinking that should have been the first thing to ask. "No problem." Ron shrugged, but ultimately still scared. Harry looked outside, seeing all the faces of the muggles look up into the sky. He then looked back forward, Ron heading straight for a clock tower.

"LOOK OUT!" He yelled out. Ron screamed and sharply turned the car sideways and out, narrowly avoiding the tower. "Hurgh!" Natsu gagged, even more sick than any other moving vehicle he had ever been on.

"Ron, I should tell you…" Harry looked at Ron, panting. "Muggles aren't accustomed to flying cars!" Harry yelled, catching his breath from the ride. "Oh right." Ron realised, also panting, before flipping a switch turning the car invisible and continued to drive.

"SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME OFF!" A yell echoed, as the car drove off in the cloudy sky.


	30. A Bumpy Ride

**Q+A**

 **Q: Is Wendy going to have a love interest?**

 **A: I didn't really think of love interests for the teachers. And even if I did, I don't know who would go with Wendy. Best I can think is Romeo, but he's not in this story**

 **Q: Will GruVia be canon?**

 **A: I'm not thinking about bringing Juvia into the story. At least not yet. I'm thinking of just having these characters from the FT Universe. Don't know if others will come yet. I'll just see how the story flows**

Only the clouds blocked Ron's vision. Natsu slouched silently at the back, trying to keep the barf in his mouth. It was soon that the car drove out of the clouds, under them a sea of green with tiny specs of animals and lines of roads and pathways.

The car began to pulse between invisibility and visibility, until the car stayed visible. Harry looked out the car window, confused why the car was visible. Ron pressed the button again. Nothing. He pressed the button twice, still nothing. "Oh no! The Invisibility Booster must be faulty!" Ron panicked, shaking his head to Harry to the front. "Come on then, let's go lower. We need to find the train." Ron nodded and tightened his grip on the wheel. "Sorry Natsu. Hold on. We're going to drop!" Harry warned, Natsu only groaning in response.

Ron shifted the gears and began to decent, all three of them feeling a drop in their chests. The car nearly touched the hill beneath them, as the three saw the railroad that lead to Hogwarts. Ron lowered the car even more until they were hovering a bit above the line. "Right, now all we have to do is catch up to the train." Harry said, looking at Ron. "We can't be far behind." Ron conversed.

 _CHOO!_

Natsu's ears perked a bit. "Oh thank God. I can hear the train." Natsu gagged. "We must be getting close." Ron sighed happily. "Uh guys, that sounds like…" Natsu said sickly. "Hold on." Harry looked at Ron. Ron looked at Harry. Both of them looked Natsu. All of them hoped that it wasn't. They all turned around. And it was.

The Hogwarts Express was right behind them.

The three of them looked at the train for a bit, before screaming for their lives.

Lucy was reading a muggle magazine she picked up along the way. But she was still worried about Natsu and how he was going to get to Hogwarts in time. Gajeel was staring out the window, keeping it chill, and Gray was having a shut eye.

As Gajeel sighed out the window, he saw a blue flying car doing a tumble roll under the bridge. His eyes widened with surprise and stood up. "D-Did you guys see that?" He asked, pointing out the window. "Huh? Saw what?" Lucy asked, looking up from her magazine. He opened the window and stuck his head looking around, waking Gray up. "Gajeel. What's wrong?" She asked looking at Gajeel. "I thought I heard screaming…." He muttered, closing the window. "I didn't hear anything…" Gray told him yawning.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The three boys screamed as the car tumbled around, everything hitting the roof and being pushed around. Harry suddenly slid to the door which broke open. He gasped as he fell out the door, his hand grabbing the handle in time. "HARRY!" Natsu and Ron exclaimed in horror.

"I swear I heard something…." Gajeel rubbed his head, baffled. "You must be crazy." Gray told him with a straight face. "I ain't crazy Iceboy." Lucy sighed and facepalmed.

Suddenly, legs dangling out their window, revealing to be Harry hanging by a car.

"I'm just concerned how Natsu's going to get here…Everything he does causes damage and danger somehow." Lucy admitted.

Outside the window, Natsu could be seen trying to get Harry up, only to fall out himself and grab onto Harry's ankles. Ron yelled out, looking forward, then back trying to see what he could do.

"True. If Natsu can't get to Hogwarts in time, what's going to happen?" Gray wondered. "Well he's with us, so he could be let off easier than usual students…" Lucy pondered. "Not to mention Ron and Harry were blocked as well…" Happy pointed out. Lucy sighed and let her head down. "What are we going to do with that guy... " She muttered.

The car began to move up until Natsu and Harry were no longer visible through the window.

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

The three of them turned to the door, seeing Hermione wave through the window. Lucy smiled and waved, hand signaling that she could come in. "Hey Hermione. What's up?" She asked. "Have you guys seen Harry or Ron? I've been looking for them all day." She asked. "No. Sorry." Gray said, his face blank and bored. "Oh...alright…" She was about to leave until she turned to Lucy.

"Also, Lucy." Lucy looked at her, curious. "Where's your fiance?" She asked. "Fiance?" Gajeel repeated, looking at Lucy. "Uh…" Lucy stuttered. "H-He's in the bathroom." She lied. Gray and Gajeel looked at Hermione. "Oh. Also, I never heard of the Heartfilias or the Dragneels. What does your family do?" She asked. Gray and Gajeel turned back to Lucy, wondering how she was going to get out of this.

"Just normal people." She smiled. Hermione looked at her, then nodded. "Alright…" And with that, she left. "Normal people?" Gray repeated. "What did you want me to say? I'm a princess?" She said sarcastically before going back to her magazine.

"Ron! Do something!" Harry yelled at him. "I can't lift you both at once!" He yelled back.  
"You're gonna have to!" Harry told him. Ron nodded nervously and stabilized the car he reached out his hand, which Harry stretched out to grab. The first time he did, his hand slipped out.

"Grab my hand!"

"I'm trying! Your hand's sweaty!"

Ron stretched his hand out again, this time Harry grabbing more securely. With all his might, Ron lifted his friend up. Once Harry was up, he turned around and helped Natsu back up by crawling to the back seat.

Once Natsu was in, he slammed the door shut, all three of them panting from exhaustion and shock. "I think we found the train…." Natsu gasped, before going back to his gagging self. "Yeah…" Both boys agreed, as they followed the train to Hogwarts.

It was night when the boys arrived at school. The specks of orange light illuminated each window of the majestic castle. Everyone smiled as they saw the school in all its glory. "Welcome home." Ron smiled, looking at his friends. Harry smiled, looking at Hedwig.

 _BOOM!_

A sudden jolt was felt throughout the car. Natsu gagged, his hand on his mouth. The car suddenly began to fall quickly, as if it suddenly stopped working. In fact, it did stop working. It flew around the school out of control, the Natsu and Harry yelling at Ron on what could do.

"Ginny Weasley."

Lucy, Gray, and Gajeel watched Ron's little sister sit down on the stool, the hat placed on her head. Lucy sighed and looked at the window above the teachers, taking a sip of her water. As the hat slithered its thoughts and opinions of Ginny, she saw a stuttering car flying out of control past the window. She nearly spit her water out and swallowed it the wrong way. She began to cough violently as silently as she could.

"Lucy, are you alright?!" Cho whispered, hitting her on the back. "Y-Yeah, just swallowed the wrong way…" She smiled, her voice all hoarse. She looked at Gray and Gajeel's direction, their faces expressing the same look as Lucy.

Erza, sitting at the end of the table, looked at the three curiously and subtly turned around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. " _What did those three see?"_ She wondered.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Go up! Go up!"

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Hurgh!"

"It's not working! We're gonna crash!"

"Mind the tree!" Harry pointed.

Ron grabbed his wand out and hit the steering wheel. "Stop stop stop!" He commanded, before the wand broke in half from hitting it too hard. Ron looked at his wand, then looked at the tree. Everyone braced themselves for impact and hit the tree.

The headlight smashed and scratches in the making could be heard from the screeches and snaps outside. Everyone jolted up and down before the car stopped. Everyone panted, before the car began to roll backwards.

"Uhhhh!"

Everyone gasped as they fell back, feeling the back hit the trunk and branches, jolting them forward and back, until it straightened out, resting in the pocket of the tree. Everyone gasped and panted, looking out the windows. "My wand…." Ron cried, twisting his wand. "Look at my wand…." He wailed. "Be thankful it wasn't your neck." Harry panted.

 _BANG!_

"What was that?!" Ron squealed, scared. "I don't know!" Natsu said in a panic looking out the window. A soft growl was heard, before the a bang was felt on the hood of the car. "Ah!" The boys screamed, as the main branch of the tree was hitting the car to get off. The tree banged again and again, the back of the car impaling the glass. Luckily Harry moved out of the way in time otherwise he would have been skewered.

The tree rocked the car back and forth, all the boys screaming, Natsu gagging from all the movement. The tree banged on the roof, forcing all the windows to break and leaving a noticeable dent on the roof. The tree gave one last push, and the car fell forward.

"AAHHHHH!"

 _CRASH!_

The car landed hard on its tires on the ground, all the boys panting. Th tree creaked with one last attack in mind. "GO! FAST!" Harry yelled at him from behind. Ron panicked and shifted the car into gear. He drove the car as fast as possible away from the tree, as the thing attempted to squish the blue car. The tree slammed hard, missing the car slightly, before adjusting back to its original state. Ron stopped the car, and looked back, panting and swallowing their saliva as their mouths were dry from screaming.

 _CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!_

The doors of the car flung open, and the seats suddenly pushed Harry, Ron, and Natsu out of the car. "Ah!" They screamed, sliding on their backs away from the car. They scrambled up, as the car's boot popped open and shoved all their stuff out. The car then tossed out Hedwig to Harry, and Ron's rat to him.

"Scavers! Are you ok?" Ron asked, lifting Scarves to his face, the rat squeaking. The car slammed the doors and boot shut and drove forward. "The car!" Ron cried, the three boys chasing after it. The car drove down the hallway that lead to Hagrid's hut, and vanished into the Forbidden Forest. The boys stopped, watching the car drive away as they could not go into that place. "Dad's going to kill me…" Ron said, very scared of what was going to happen.

The three of them dragged their luggage up the stairs, putting their luggage with the rest. "See you Hedwig!" Harry waved, before running off with Ron and Natsu. "So first a house-elf shows up in my bedroom, then we can't get through to 9 ¾, then a TREE tries to kill us… clearly someone doesn't want me here this year." Harry told Ron and Natsu as they climbed up the stairs.

"Ahem."

As the three reached the top, a stumpy old man waited for them, his arms folded, staring them down. "Gra- Makarov!" Natsu yelled, feeling defeated. "You three are in deep trouble. Not only did you miss the train but you crashed into the Whomping Willow, AND ruined the yard I just finished today! WHAT DO YOU THREE IMBECILES HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELVES?!" Makarov began to wave his hands in the air and hopped from left to right.

Ron and Harry flinched back from Makarov's anger, but Natsu looked like he was used to it. "W-we're really sorry sir!" Ron apologised, sticking to the distance he was at. "YOU THREE WILL BE! YOU'RE GOING TO WORK DAY AND NIGHT UNTIL THAT YARD LOOKS BETTER THAN IT WAS!" The three boys looked at each other, thinking both that they were screwed and that this janitor was crazy. Makarov then calmed down and gave a cough. "But that's not up to me. Unfortunately." Harry and Ron looked at each other, Natsu looking at the two. "W-Who then….?" Ron asked.

Makarov opened the door to the room, and standing there….. Was Professor Snape. And next to him….. Was Professor Erza Scarlet. Both of them. Looking like they were going to explode. Harry gulped, Ron squeaked with fear and Natsu thought out loud what everyone was thinking.

"We're dead."


	31. Off To A GREAT Start

**Q+A**

 **Q: Will Tataros and END be in the story?**

 **A: Would be interesting, but at this point in time no.**

 **Enjoy**

"You were seen…..By no more than SEVEN MUGGLES!" Snape slammed the papers down on his desk, furious. "Do you have ANY idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world, not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Whomping Willow that's been on this grounds since before you were born!"

Natsu quietly darted his eyes from Snape to Erza, who was quietly leaning next to the window. Her face was very hard to read, making him scared of what she was thinking. Makarov stood by silently, listening to what was unfolding. Beside him was his senior Filch, who insisted on coming down to witness the children suffering.

"Honestly, Professor Snape, I think it did more damage to us." Ron thought out loud. "Silence!" Snape commanded. Ron immediately shut his mouth, realising what he said was a bad move. "I assure you that were you in Slytherin and your fate rested with me, the both of you would be on the train home. Tonight!" Snape snapped as he stood up and crawled around his desk. Harry and Ron looked worried now. Natsu not sure what would happen to him as he was on a mission here.

"Professor Scarlet. Care to comment?" Snape asked, his eyes darting between the three boys. Erza's body shifted up, her clothing ruffled with her movement. Her footsteps could be heard on the solid wood floor. The three boys stood still, their eyes following her movement. She stopped in front of the boys, all of them holding their breaths.

 _THWACK!_

 _BONG!_

 _BOOSH!_

"WHAT WERE YOU THREE THINKING?!"

"Ow…. ERZA WHAT THE HELL?!" Natsu screamed at her, holding his steaming head after she punched the three of them on the head. "THAT'S PROFESSOR SCARLET TO YOU MISTER DRAGNEEL!" She snapped back, pulling his cheeks apart. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow! I' sowwy! I' sowwy!"

"Professor Scarlet is mental!" Ron whimpered, holding his red steaming head. "WHAT WAS THAT MISTER WEASLEY?!" Erza demanded, stretching out his mouth next. "N-Nowing Mi' S'arle' I pwomi'!" Ron squealed, his cheeks in immense pain. "I swear if it was up to me, I would make you run around the school so many times and so many squats that your legs will fall off!" She growled, still pinching his cheeks. Snape scoffed and lightly pushed Erza away from Ron, who was rubbing and stretching his cheeks. She folded her arms and sighed violently, leaning against the desk. "As it is-" Snape began.

"They are not."

Everyone looked at the door, two new figures joining the party. "Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall…" Natsu muttered, he too rubbing his cheeks. "Headmaster…" Snape bowed slightly at his senior's presence. He then turned his attention to the trio and began his case as to why they should be expelled. "These boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such-"

"I am well aware of our bylaws Severus. Having written quite a few of them myself." Dumbledore interrupted, giving him a bit of a look. "But as the head of Gryffindor House, it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action." Snape stood still, silently understanding, but at the same time disappointed that he could not make the decision.

"We'll go get our stuff then."

Everyone looked at Ron, confused at what he was saying. "What are you talking about Mister Weasley?" McGonagall asked. "Yeah, what are you talking about Ron?" Natsu asked, leaning forward towards Ron. "You're going to expel us aren't you…" Ron whispered, looking down.

"Not today Mister Weasley." McGonagall smiled. The three boys looked up, surprised. They smiled at each other with glee. "However, I must impress on both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight. And the three of you will receive detention." Everyone nodded subtly, understanding.

"Now, I suggest we return to the feast. There is a delicious-looking custard tart that I most anxious to sample." Dumbledore chuckled, as he exited to return to the hall. McGonagall smiled and followed the headmaster. Snape growled a bit before subtly stomping out. Makarov and Erza growled at Natsu before leaving. Natsu whimpered a bit, not looking forward to their roasting later.

The three students were next to leave. But before they left, Harry noticed a small white rectangle on the floor. He leant forward and picked up the object, observing it. "Hey, whatcha got there Harry?" Natsu asked, leaning over. "A letter." Harry replied. Suddenly his eyes widened. Harry turned the letter over, Filch's name on the other side. "Um, Mister Filch, you dropped this…" Harry muttered, handing the letter over to Filch. He immediately grabbed the letter and pocketed it, as if ashamed of it somehow. The three boys gave a subtle nod to their caretaker, and left the room to attend the feast.

"What was letter all about?" Ron asked, Harry beside him and Natsu following behind with his hands behind his head. "I don't know… something about magic for beginners…?" Harry said, unsure. Suddenly, Natsu's collar was pulled off to the side, not enough time for him to react. "Natsu, what do you think?" The boys turned around, only to find Natsu missing. "W-where'd he go?" Ron stuttered, he and Natsu looking around.

"Oof!" Natsu groaned as his back was hit against a wall. He opened his eyes, his assailant shoving his face into Natsu's personal space. "P-Professor Snape!" He exclaimed. "What are you and your friends playing at Mister Dragneel?" He gritted. "W-What…?" Natsu stuttered, not sure what Snape was getting at. "Your mission is to protect Mister Potter. This isn't like your….Earthland. We are meant to be kept in secret. Understand Mister Dragneel?"

Natsu nodded his head vigorously. "Good." Snape nodded and backed off. He stared at Natsu, Natsu stared at him. "...Um…. Is there anything else you want to say Professor Snape…?" Natsu stuttered. "...I just realised how dumb looking you are…. I'm beginning to wonder if you're capable of protecting Mister Potter…" Snape muttered. Natsu's face began to turn a bit agitated at Snape's statement. "Well, we're a year in, and we protected him from Voldemort and Quibble, so I think that we're fine." Natsu gritted, trying not to get ticked off. Snape simply hummed, and walked away.

"That was weird…." Natsu muttered, watching Snape leave.

"Natsu! Welcome back. How was Summer Break?" Mavis asked, smiling at Natsu's arrival. "It was alright." Natsu smiled. "Heard you hijack a magic vehicle." Mavis giggled. "Hey, that was only because we missed the train." Natsu told her, a bit stiffly. Mavis chuckled and sighed happily. "Well step on through, everyone's waiting for you." Mavis said, stepping to the side. Natsu nodded and hopped through.

Everyone was lounging around the room. _WHOOSH!_ Everyone looked at the entrance, watching Natsu come through. "NATSU!" Happy exclaimed, leaping into Natsu's arms. "I was so worried!" Happy cried, snuggling his head into his arms. "We all were." Lucy added, stepping forward. "We were wondering how you were going to get here." She continued. "Speaking of which, how did you get here?" Gray asked. "Oh, we-"

"HE HIJACKED A FLYING CAR, THAT'S WHAT!" A furious Erza's roar echoed through the room. "Wait, that was you?!" Gray pointed at Natsu. "Hey, that was Ron's idea, not mine! And besides, I need to get here at all costs! We're on a mission!" Natsu shot back at Erza. "Then how about you, I don't know, BOARD THE TRAIN NEXT TIME?!" Gajeel shouted at him. "Now now everyone, this is our first meeting of the year and we're already yelling." Mira smiled. "Mira's right guys. Let's tone it down." Wendy encouraged, a bit quiet.

"Well, I would if the gateway would let us in!" Natsu shouted, completely ignoring Mira and Wendy. Everyone froze at what Natsu had said. "Wait. The door didn't let you through to the station?" Levy repeated. "Yeah. And not only that. Harry said that a house elf came in and after what he did, Harry got locked up. Then we can't get through Platform 9 ¾ and then a tree tried to attack us. We think someone tried to stop Harry from coming here."

Everyone became silent, thinking. "Why would someone try to prevent Harry from coming to Hogwarts?" Makarov asked, pondering. "I call it's that creepy janitor. He always has this eye that says 'I-Can't-Wait-To-Expel-You'" Gray shivered. "I agree. There's something I don't like about him." Gajeel nodded. "It's not him." Everyone looked at Natsu, confused as to why he thought that. "It's not Filch. A letter came to him. About magic for beginners."

"Wait, why would the janitor at a magic school need to learn magic?" Lucy asked him. Natsu shrugged. "I don't know. But it's clear. If Filch can't use basic magic, how can he use an advanced spell like blocking a magic gateway?" Natsu questioned. Everyone hummed at Natsu's theory. "This is peculiar indeed." Erza muttered. "Then who's behind it?" Wendy asked. "Draco probably." Gajeel joked.

"Definitely him."

"Oh yeah."

"It's him"

"Woah woah woah I was joking!" Gajeel panicked, trying to calm the accusations down. "Oh come on, you've met his father! It's definitely him!" Lucy yelled at him. "Yeah but…" Gajeel rubbed the back of his head, trying to find a good reason not to jump to accusations. "Nah, you're right. It's him." Gajeel said quickly. In fact, too quickly….

"Well onto other business. The third corridor is down. I guess the only area left is the Fifth Corridor Bathroom." Mavis smiled. "No way am I going in there again. That place is creepy." Gray shivered. "Which is why Makarov will go first."

"Wait, what?" Makarov turned his head to the First master in shock. "It's only natural." Mavis smiled cheekily. Makarov sighed, knowing he couldn't object to his senior's demands. "Alright. All of you better get your sleep." Mavis clapped, dismissing the spies. "And we'd better. Tomorrow we have Defense Against The Dark Arts…" Lucy sighed. "What's so bad about that?" Natsu asked.

Natsu sat at his desk, not believing his eyes. Why him of all people? Anyone but him. "Welcome students. I am your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Gilderoy Lockhart. Ahahaha."

"You gotta be kidding me…"


	32. Pixies, Mandrakes, and Howlers

**Q+A**

 **Q: How did The Fairies get money to get books, and why are they in Diagon Alley in the first place?**

 **A: First, Dumbledore had their books sorted. Forgot to put that in :P And also they still need to blend in with the other students. Also exploring**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Defense Against the Dark Arts**

All the boys watched Gilderoy poshly walk down the stairs, looking confused and sort of… well… revolted. "Order of Merlin, Third Class. Honorary member of The Dark Force Defense League, and five time winner, of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award." Ron looked around at the others, who were confused as he was. Except all the girls, who became smitten.

"But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him. Aha. Ahahaha." Ron raised a very concerned eyebrow, Seamus and Neville looked at each other shrugging. Gajeel softly grumbled, imagining stabbing a knife through his own head just to get out of here.

Natsu had leant back on his chair arms folded on his stomach. His eyebrow lifted, mouth opened in confusement. He felt like he wanted to look away but couldn't. This teacher reminded him of someone….. Familiar….

"Well, I see none of you read my third volume on how I outshone the Banshee with my devilish looks and my…..amorous perfume."

" _Maaaan…."_

"Yeash!" Natsu gagged, and jolted back from the sudden face of terror. He shook his head a couple of times, to get the thought out of his mind. Everyone looked at him, wondering what his deal was. "You alright back there Mister Dragneel?" Gilderoy asked, leaning over. "Y-Yes sir…. Bleack…" Natsu shook his tongue out and sat up straight.

"Good. Now, before we start, a quiz. To test your skills." Gilderoy went down the middle of the room, placing two tests per desk. "What the… These tests are about him!" Ron whispered, reading the questions. "Favorite colour? Best seller?" Harry read out loud.

"Hey! What's the big idea?! You're meant to be teaching us Defence, not lecture us about your big, fat, egotistical head!" Natsu yelled furiously, standing up and waving the paper in his hand. "Watch your mouth Mister Dragneel! Twenty-five points off Gryffindor!" Gilderoy tisked. "But-!"

"Want to make it fifty?!" Gilderoy threatened. "...No sir…" Natsu muttered and sat back down. Gilderoy got back to the front of the class and looked at his hourglass. "Thirty minutes." Everyone readied their quills and looked at the teacher. "Start."

The teacher shook his head as he skimmed through the tests. "How could none of you know my favourite colour? It is Lilac, not Gold." Gilderoy said, saying as if everyone should know this. "Well maybe dress in Lilac and we may not make that mistake…" Gajeel grumbled, his arms folded, slouching.

"But Miss Granger… was the only one who got Question Twelve right. That my favourite pastime is to visit and help the poor magical creatures at the Magical Creature Sanctuary." Natsu raised an eyebrow, feeling that was definitely not true at all.

"Now! Be warned." Lockhart whipped out his wand and looked around the classroom. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures to man kind." He gave the covered cage next to him a quick tap. Growling and shaking soon followed from the cage. "You may be facing your worst fears in this room. Know that no harm shall fall upon you while I am here. But I must ask you not to scream…." Draco gave a gulp, everyone else somewhat intrigued. "For it might provoke them!"

Gilderoy flicked the cover off the cage, revealing blue little goblins with wings screeching and trying to claw its way out. "What the… Cornish Pixies?" Seamus laughed. "FRESHLY caught Cornish Pixies." The professor corrected. Everyone laughed at this, thinking they were harmless creatures. Seamus laughed the loudest, elbowing Neville next to him who was also chuckling. "Laugh all you like Mister Finnegan, but pixies can be devilishly little blighters. Let's see what they think of you now!"

 **Outside the DADA Classroom**

"Hm… Intriguing. I never knew that…" Levy muttered, her Gale-Force Reading glasses skimming through a book she stole from the Forbidden Section. She sat alone in the courtyard, no one around her. "Never knew what?" Levy jumped and slammed the book shut, holding it close to her body. She sighed and relaxed as soon as she saw who it was.

"Wendy, you scared me!" Levy gasped, still catching her breath. "Oh, so sorry Levy! I didn't mean to!" Wendy apologised. "It's fine." Levy smiled and waved her hand up and down. "Anyway, what were you talking about?" Wendy asked, curious. "Well, in this world, all animals have their own languages, and you can learn them. Cats, dogs, even snakes." Levy explained, smiling. "Oh, that's interesting." Wendy agreed.

The two teachers soon found themselves walking side by side, talking about Levy's findings. "It didn't sound so bad. Why was it in the restricted section?" Wendy asked. "Because… You-Know-Who used the language of snakes. Pastel Tongue. So I think the school didn't want anyone else to learn Pastel Tongue." Levy deducted. "Makes sense." Wendy smiled.

 _BANG!_

Wendy and Levy jumped at the sudden open of the door in front of them. Soon, screaming flowed out of the door, children ducking, shaking their hair and body of something. "What the...! What's going on?!" Wendy asked in surprise. "Hey! Everyone! Calm down! Class isn't cover!" Levy yelled at the rouge students who were pretty much gone. Levy and Wendy blinked a bit and decided to look inside the classroom.

The classroom was a mess. Papers and books torn apart, lying on the floor. Fragments of bone and glass scattered everywhere. And floating in mid air, where pixie like creatures were stuck in their positions. "Ah! Neville!" Wendy gasped, looking at the chandelier. He was hanging on his cloak, struggling a bit. He looked back a bit, seeing the blue heads in the corner of his eye. "Oh. Hello Professor Marvel. Professor McGarden."

"What happened in here?" Levy asked, looking at the debris around her. Suddenly, she spotted a pink haired boy behind a desk. "Natsu. I know that's you." Levy said staley. Natsu slowly perked his head up with Ron, Hermione, and Harry coming up as well.

"What happened Natsu? What did you do?" Levy sighed. "Why is it when there's destruction you think it's me?" Natsu asked, rubbing his head. "Gee, I wonder why." Levy said sarcastically.

"It's not Natsu's fault Professor McGarden. We just had a mishap with one of the creatures we were learning about. Don't worry, we'll clean up." Hermione told her. "...Alright…" Levy sighed, before taking attention to Neville. "Here, let's get you down." She smiled, her wand guiding him down. "Thank you Professor McGarden." Neville thanked her, brushing his uniform off.

"Now, I expect all five of you to clean up. I don't think Professor Lockheart would like teaching in this environment. Speaking of which, where is he?" Levy asked, looking around. "Oh he's…" Ron pointed at the door above the classroom and looked to and fro from the door and his other teachers. "...Cleaning..." Ron lied.

Levy and Wendy looked at each other, then back at the five students. "Hmm…. Just make sure it's all spotless before the end of class alright?" Levy smiled, before she and Wendy left. Natsu stood there blinking a bit, before sighing. "Why is it when something's destroyed they blame me…?" He wondered. "Maybe because you get into random fights?" Ron said sarcastically. "What are you getting at Ron?" Natsu asked, his voice in a not joking matter.

"Oh boy." Hermione breathed

 **Herbology**

"So Gray, what did you do for your holidays?" Zach asked, leaning over the pots. "Nothing much. Just hung out with my family." Gray shrugged. "Really? Nothing interesting?" Ernie wondered. "Yeah, two months, I imagined you did something interesting." Justin pipped in. "Eh, no not really." Gray shrugged. "What about you Susan?" Gray asked. "No, nothing really. She smiled. "Just hung out with family."

"Morning Lucy." Padma and Cho smiled, walking up to Lucy. "Good morning Padma. Cho." She smiled back. "You guys ready for today's lesson?" Lucy asked them. "Yep. We're handling baby Mandrakes today." Cho smiled, placing her bag down. "Baby Mandrakes?" Lucy repeated.

"Good morning class!"

"Good morning Professor Sprout."

"Welcome Second Year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students to Greenhouse Three. Today we shall be handling baby Mandrakes. Now, can anyone tell me the properties of a Mandrake?" Cho put her hand up immediately. "Yes, Cho?"

"Mandrakes are useful when reversing paralysis. But their screams are so powerful they can kill someone instantly." Cho explained. "Excellent. Ten points for Ravenclaw." The Ravenclaws smiled happily and pat Cho on the back. "As we are dealing with seedlings, their screams will not be able to kill you yet, but they will knock you out for several hours, that is why I provided earmuffs for all of you. Understand?" Everyone nodded.

"Good. After you put the headphones on, watch me carefully as you won't be able to hear me. When it is your turn to pull I will put my thumbs up. You may put your earmuffs on now."

Everyone put their ear muffs on and payed close attention to the teacher. She twisted the leaves and pulled it out with all her might. A sharp scream filled the room, everyone instantly covering their already covered ears. As soon as she shook the Mandrake, she placed it in another pot and sprinkled a bit of soil. As soon as she was done, she gave the thumbs up to her students.

Lucy and Gray twisted the leaves and pulled up with the rest of the class. A thousand high frequency screams filled the room, all the students trying to block out the noise mentally. Lucy held her mandrake as far as she could, and hastily dunked it into the pot and covered in in soil. Gray, on the other hand, used his free hand to block the ear closest to the Mandrake, and like Lucy, tossed it into the pot sprinkling soil.

As soon Lucy put her earmuffs down, she dug her pinky into her ears groaning. All she could hear was ringing. "I think I'm deaf…" She muttered. "Me too…." Gray sighed across her, hitting his ears with his palms.

"Well done for today class. You all did very well. You may go."

 **In the Grand Hall**

Ron sighed, trying to tape together his broken wand while everyone was having lunch. He left the tape hanging from his wand and looked at Harry. "Say it. I'm doomed." Harry just shrugged and said what Ron wanted him to say. "You're doomed."

"Hey, it ain't that bad. Just ask someone to fix it." Natsu shrugged, not knowing what the big deal was. "Do you know how expensive a wand is to repair? If I did that, mum will kill me!" Ron squealed, clearly having a panic attack. Hermione just rolled her eyes and went back to her studies.

"Hey Harry!"

 _FLASH!_

The three boys blinked at the sudden burst of light that shone in their face. As soon as they opened their eyes, a green screen was the only thing their eyes could process. A little blond boy stood there with a camera, smiling a toothy grin. "I'm Colin Creevey. I'm in Gryffindor, just like you!" Colin introduced excitedly. "H-Hi Colin, nice to meet you…." Harry stuttered, still blinking.

 _Skreech!_

"Hey Ron, is that your owl?"

Everyone looked up at the roof, a dusty grey owl flying above them. He glided smoothly above Gryffindor's table, something visible in his mouth. But as soon as Errol tried to land, he crashed into a bowl of crisps, spreading it everywhere. Everyone laughed at this foolish owl. Especially Draco.

"Bloody bird's a menace." Ron sighed, taking a red envelope out of the bird's beak. As soon as Ron took the letter out, the bird leapt up as if nothing happened and flew away with a strong breeze gusting from its wings. Hermione pushed her messed up hair in order, before paying attention to what Ron had in his hand. "Oh no!" Ron whimpered.

"Hey, check it out everyone! Weasley's got a howler!" Semus pointed. Everyone laughed with a mixture of concerned looks of what he did. "Go on Ron, open it. I ignored one from my Gran once. It was horrible..." Neville said, a slight tone change from excitement to remorse.

Ron's hands trembled at the letter. He slowly unclipped the seal and opened the letter.

" **RONALD WEASLEY!"**

"YEAOCH!" Natsu's head began to ring from the sudden yell. He could feel his head physically shaking! He did not expect that coming. He instantly covered his ears, as his hearing was sharper than everyone else's.

Lucy instantly stood up, wondering what was going on over there. Gray leant to the side, seeing Ron from his angle. "What is that..?" He wondered, looking at the letter. Gajeel got a jump from the sudden yell as well and covered his ears. "What in the hell was that?!" He demanded.

Ron dropped the letter on the table, everyone in the hall looking now. The letter floated up and took the form of a mouth. A mouth with pointed teeth. Everyone near the letter leant back, feeling they were going to go deaf if they sat to close.

" **HOW** **DARE** **YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM** **ABSOLUTELY** **DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER IS NOW FACING AN ENQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY** **ALL YOUR FAULT!** "

The letter flew straight into his face, everyone still watching the letter tell him off.

" **IF YOU PUT ANOTHER** **TOE** **OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"**

Ron, with a scared face, nodded at the letter his mother sent.

" **Oh and Ginny dear, congratulations in getting into Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud."**

Everyone instantly turned their heads towards Ginny, who simply rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the embarrassment. The letter then turned back to Ron and blew a raspberry in his face with a bookmark tongue, and shredded itself to pieces.

Ron looked at the remaining pieces of the letter, his heart still racing from the steam-off from his mother. Everyone looked at the shreds, then looked at Ron. Natsu had to pop his ears a few times, before hearing perfectly again. "Dude, I was raised by a dragon. And your mother…" Natsu put his hand on Ron's back. "Is WAY scarier." Ron gave a small light whimper and nodded.

"Yep."


	33. Breaking Point

Gray opened the door slowly to the fifth floor bathroom. He looked around a bit checking no one was here, or at least, nothing out of the ordinary. "Hello….?" He called out. Only the echoes of cold air replied. "Nothing again…. Who was here the first night then? And what was that slither sound….?" He questioned to himself as he looked around.

A soft slither wrapped around the base of the sinks in the middle of the room, unknown to Gray. Suddenly Gray stopped, hearing a soft hiss behind him. He slowly reached for his wand, and swiftly turned around. But as he turned around, the thing struck his eye. Then, everything went black.

 **An hour later**

"Right, so I spent the whole summer building up a new Quidditch program. We're going to train earlier, longer, and harder." Oliver explained, leading his team down to the Quidditch Field. "Aw, what?! I don't want to get up early!" Natsu whined. "You're not even in the team Natsu. Why are you with us anyway?" Harry asked, looking to his left. "I have nothing else better to do." Natsu replied casually. "Fine, you can watch us then." Oliver sighed. "Yay!" Natsu clapped.

"Oh, I don't believe it." Oliver gritted. "What is it?" Natsu asked, looking to where Oliver was looking. Everyone followed Oliver as he marched into the courtyard, confronting their rival house. Slytherin.

"Where do you think you're going Flint?"

"Quidditch practise. That a problem?"

"I booked the field for Gryffindor today."

"Easy Wood. I got a note." Flint dug through his pockets and pulled out a scroll, handing it to the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Oliver, uneasy about Flint's intentions, grabbed the note and unscrolled it.

"Oh no. I smell trouble." Ron whispered to Hermione, who both happened to be studying in the courtyard. Hermione sighed and closed her books, walking up to the two teams, Ron tagging along behind her.

"'I, Professor Severus Snape, hereby give permission for Slytherin to practice Quidditch today in order to practice with their new Seeker.' So you have a new Seeker do you? Who is it?" Oliver asked, demanding who it was. Flint shrugged with a smug and stood aside. The new Seeker stood forward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't believe it. "Malfoy?" Harry stuttered, confused.

"Huh? What's going on over there?" Lucy noticed, Gajeel walking beside her. "Looks like Flint is trying to show Oliver who's boss." Gajeel scoffed jokingly. "Oh, Natsu's there too." She pointed.

Gajeel hummed and looked to his right, noticing Gray shuffling along the hallway, tired and distracted. "Yo. Finished your round already? How was the Prefect Bathroom?" Gajeel greeted. "Huh? O-Oh yeah… Nothing wrong..." Gray stuttered. "Gray, is something wrong?" Lucy asked, sensing something not right with him. "Huh? Y-Yeah, everything's fine." He said, his body shaking a bit.

"At least Gryffindor has raw talent." The three other students looked at the commotion close to them, hearing Hermione trying to put Slytherin to shame. Draco walked up to her, a mean look on his face. "No one asked your opinion you filthy mudblood." Everyone gasped at Draco's term, Hermione breathing angrily.

"Oh you've done it now Malfoy! Eat slugs!" Ron whipped out his wand and flicked it towards Malfoy. Unfortunately, he forgot that his wand was broken. A green light emitted from the middle of his wand where it broke. A force flew from his wand, causing him to fly back.

The Gryffindor House gasped and immediately ran to Ron's side, while Slytherin laughed. "Oh poor Ron!" Lucy gasped, running towards him. Ron laid on the floor, blinking at what had happened. "Ron! Are you alright?!" Hermione asked, shaking Ron's chest. Suddenly, he gagged and sat up, coughing up a slimy slug, the mucus dripping from his mouth.

"Ew!" All the kids gagged, except for Draco who was laughing his butt off. "You're a pathetic wizard Weasly! You're as good as a filthy mudblood!" As soon as those words left Draco's mouth, Gray's eyes transformed from cool and calm, to dilated and bloodshot. "You alright Gray?" Gajeel asked.

"Come on, let's get you to Hagrid!" Harry said, he and Hermione picking him up and helped him up to Hagrid's hut.

Soon, Slytherin made their way to the Quidditch Field, Natsu, Lucy, and Gajeel sneaking along to see Slytherin's tactics. They leant on the doorway to the field, watching them. "So what cheats is Slytherin going to pull this time?" Lucy asked, turning to Natsu.

"Hey, what's Ice boy doing down there?" Gajeel asked pointing to Gray on the field. His eyes were covered with his hair covering his eyes. Before anyone could do anything, a fast blur ran up to Draco, his fist digging into Draco's cheek. Draco flew back, blood pouring from his mouth. Gray was panting and growling, his body slouching. His clenched fist dripped with Draco's blood.

Everyone went silent. Lucy's eyes were shocked, not believing her eyes. Gray's teeth were like canine teeth, his mouth drooling. "You little snot face snob! You think you're so high and mighty don't you?! Well let me tell you! You're nothing but a spoiled little brat that does nothing but run to your daddy when something doesn't go your way!" Gray yelled, jumping on top of Draco and lifting his lift to punch him in the face once more.

The other three sprinted onto the field and pushed Gray off Draco. "Gray! What the hell's you're deal?! Get off him!" Natsu exclaimed, pulling Gray away from Draco. "Get off me Natsu!" Gray demanded, squirming. "Gray! What's going on with you?!" Lucy exclaimed, touching Gray's shoulder. He tightly turned his head to Lucy, carnivorous eyes staring at her. Lucy flinched back and retracted her hand. "G-Gray….?" She stuttered. Suddenly, Gajeel's fist punched Gray in the face, causing Gray to get knocked out.

As they pulled Gray away, Draco yelled and swore at them, saying that this would not stand by with their father. "HE WILL NOT STAND BY THIS YOU FILTHY MUDBLOODS! YOU WILL BE SQUIBS WHEN YOU'RE EXPELLED!"

 **In The Training Room**

Gray slouched, tied up with the Immobulus Spell, still unconscious. The teachers and students were scattered around the room, keeping a close eye on him, humming. A clutch sound echoed the room, everyone turned at the door. There at the door, was Dumbledore, and the four heads of each house.

"Professor Dumbledore. Thank you for coming on such an emergency." Erza thanked, standing up from her leaning position. Everyone broke their statue positions and created a circle away from Gray. "Indeed. I came as soon as First Master contacted us." He said in a warm voice. "Though, I never imagined a student outbursting like that." Professor McGonagall sighed, looking at Gray.

"How did it happen?" Professor Sprout asked. "W-We don't know…. He's never been like this before…." Lucy stuttered. "It's like he's possessed." She added. "Well, what should we do? Shall we just remove all of Hufflepuff's points?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"He attacked a Slytherin student! Draco Malfoy nevertheless! His father will be asking for a minimum of an expulsion!" Snape reasoned, his voice angry. "Then that is what we'll do." Dumbledore said firmly. "What?!" Natsu yelled. "But sir, Gray is a part of our team! He has nowhere to go, and if he has violent outbursts like this, then it's not safe for him to wander!" Wendy reasoned, her body leaning forward.

"That is why he will stay here until we find out why he is like this. Until then, we'll say he is suspended." Dumbledore decided. "So where was he last?" Mira asked, looking at Levy. "He was doing his daily rounds. It was the Fifth Corridor I think." Levy hummed. "Yes, I assigned to him the Prefect Bathroom." Mavis confirmed, flying in through the painting. "Then that's where we're going first." Lucy said, determined.

"You three will go down. The rest of us need to go down to teach." Erza demanded. "But who'll keep an eye on him?" Mira asked. "I got this." Lucy smiled, taking out her keys. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She chanted. A golden light came from her key, summoning a tall, well dressed, orange haired man. "Lady Lucy. What can I do for you my fair lady?" Leo asked, bowing. "Can you keep an eye on Gray? He-" Loke stopped Lucy there, aware of what happened. "I will keep an eye on him for you." Loke promised. "Thank you Loke." Lucy smiled before everyone left to their posts.

The three students pushed the door to the Prefects Bathroom and looked around. "Gajeel, you were in here last time right? What happened last time?" Lucy whispered, looking around. "Well, there was a figure… and slither like words…" Gajeel recalled.

"Oh hello again!"

A pale figure flew above and around them until landing in front of them. "Ah! Ghost!" Natsu screamed. The figure was of a girl with glasses and two pigtails. She wore a Hogwarts Uniform, smiling.

"I haven't seen you in over a year!" She exclaimed, leaning into Gajeel's face. "Thank you for not destroying the bathroom this time. Heeheeheehee!" She giggled and flew towards Lucy and Natsu, observing their faces. "As for you, I haven't seen you before." She said, tilting her head.

"Y-Yo…" Natsu greeted, a bit freaked out by her. "H-Hello…." Lucy greeted as well. "Anyway, what are you all doing here? You're not allowed in here." She continued, flying away from them.

"This is where our friend was before he went insane. We were wondering what happened…. Did you see anything?" Natsu asked. "Hm… maybe…. Maybe not." She teased, flying backwards as if she was swimming. "But if I were you, I'd stay away from here. If your friend did go insane like you said…." She flew down into their faces quite suddenly and stared them in the eye. "Then there might be something lurking…." She giggled and flew away again.

"Is there anyone here that just tells us what's going on straight up?" Natsu muttered. "Wait, so was he attacked?" Lucy asked. The girl just hummed in response. "By what?" She asked. "I don't know actually. It came so fast. Then it disappeared." The ghost said. Lucy pondered. "So what happened to Gray?" Natsu asked. "Maybe we should ask Gray." Gajeel suggested. "Well, it's the only thing we got so far…." Lucy muttered. "But what if he goes insano on us?" Natsu asked. "Hey, we're tough. We can take him." Gajeel winked and smiled."

The room was covered with ice and scorch marks. Leo was beaten up in the corner, holding his arm. His clothing was torn and he had bruises and cuts all over him. "Loke! What happened?!" Lucy gasped, running to his side. "L-Lucy….Ssss! Ah…. He woke up…. He was stronger than I ever saw him…" Loke grunted and smiled at Lucy. "I'll be going back… I don't know where Gray went… Sorry…." And with that, he vanished. "Where would Gray go?" Natsu wondered.

 **During Dinner**

Susan looked next to her, the empty seat mocking her. "Have you guys seen Gray?" She asked, looking at Zach, Justin, Ernie, and Cedric. They all looked at each other, and shook their heads. "Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him all day…" Justin muttered. "I heard he punched Draco." Ernie said, biting into his chicken.

"Attention students. Attention!" Everyone quieted down, and put their food down. "As much as I regret say, it is the school's foundation that I must tell you all. Gray Fullbuster has been suspended due to excessive violence."

Everyone gasped and began to whisper. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. They turned around and looked at the Hufflepuff House. Gray's roommates were distraught. They didn't know what to think about this. They could not believe what they heard. Draco looked down, pleased with the school's actions. The hall began to whisper of bad remarks about Hufflepuff.

"Another Hufflepuff?'

"It's like Newt Scamander all l over again..."

"Hufflepuffs can't be trusted..."

"Their house is full of expelled students..."

"Seems Hufflepuffs aren't as they seem..."

"I'm not trusting a Huffle ever again..."

 **Meanwhile**

"Gray!" Natsu called out, running around the school. "Where are you?!" Lucy called out. "Come out Ice Boy!" Gajeel yelled. Happy, Lily and Charla soared the courtyards, but there was nothing. "Where is Gray…?!" Lucy gritted.

Gray stepped back from the wall. His hand dripping with blood. His eyes were the eyes of a mad man. His lips formed a smile, before laughing insanely.

 _The Chamber of Secrets has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir….. Beware..._


	34. The Writing's on the Wall

"Harry, Harry, Harry. Can you and Natsu think of any better way of spending detention than signing all of my fanmail?" Gilderoy laughed, signing off a picture of him flying and smiling. "Not really…." Harry muttered. Natsu stood by silent. He wasn't focusing on detention. He was more worried about where Gray was.

"Spit spot Natsu. Otherwise you'll have an extra three hours." Gilderoy tisked, lightly patting Natsu on the head with a quill. Natsu just sat still, looking at the ground. Harry sighed, looking at Natsu, then back at the photos. He knew Gray and Natsu had an interesting relationship, so he was probably shocked at Gray's sudden expulsion.

"Remember you two. Fame is a fickle friend. Celebrity is as celebrity does. Remember that." Gilderoy smiled, reaching for the next photo. Harry looked at Natsu once more, like he were zoned out. "Natsu? Are you alright?" Harry whispered. Natsu didn't say anything.

" _Damn it! I shouldn't be here! Knowing that idiot, he could be anywhere doing something stupid! And in the state he's in..."_ Natsu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Harry decided to say no more and got back to his signing.

" _..."_

" _..."_

" _. . . . . . . . ."_

" _...Come….."_

Harry looked up slowly, an eerie whisper filling his ears.

" _...Come…"_

Natsu looked up, hearing the whisper as well.

" _...Come…. To me….."_

Harry snapped his look at Natsu. Natsu snapped his look at Harry. They both knew the other heard the whisper. Harry nodded at Natsu, who nodded back. "Are you two alright?" The boys snapped back at Gilderoy, who looked at Natsu, then at Harry.

"W-Wait…. You didn't hear the voice…?" Harry asked. "What voice?" Gilderoy asked, looking around. "I-I heard it too…" Natsu muttered softly. "Oh, well I didn't hear anything… You two must be getting drowsy. Heh. And no wonder! Look at the time! We've nearly been at this for four hours!" Natsu and Harry gave a look, wondering how Gilderoy found this alright. "Spooky how time flies when one is having fun." Gilderoy chuckled. "Spooky…." Harry muttered, looking around the room.

"You definitely heard something right?" Harry asked Natsu as they marched out of detention. "Yeah. Something's definitely wrong." Natsu sighed, looking around the hallway.

" _I smell blood….."_

Both of the boys stopped and looked around the hall. "Did you hear that?" Harry asked. "Definitely." Natsu confirmed, looking around. "It happened last year, but I thought it was just me!" Natsu jabbered. "What? Last year?! When was that?" Harry asked. "I-I don't know…! But it was just whispers, and I only heard it, so I thought is was just me!"

" _I smell blood….. Let me rip you…."_

Both of the boys slowly looked to the wall and slowly walked towards the wall. They walked against the wall, ears dragging against the icey cold stone.

" _Let me kill you….."_

Both of them walked faster and faster and faster down the hallway, listening to the whispers of the darkness.

" _Kill….kill…..! Kill! KILL!"_

"Harry! Natsu!" Both the boys jumped and gasped. "Did you guys here it too?" Natsu panted. "...Hear what?" Ron asked, confused. "T-The voices! A-And the slithering, and the threats!" Natsu stuttered. "Natsu, are you alright? I know Gray being expelled must have hit hard for you, but hearing voices?" Hermione asked, concerned for her house mate. "N-No, Natsu's right! We heard it in Lockhart's office, and then again just…"

" _Hisssahhhh…. Lahhhhsiiiii"_

Harry and Natsu looked at each other in horror, then bolted down the fire lit hall. "Harry! Natsu! What's gotten into you?!" Hermione yelled after them. "It's on the move! It's going to kill!" Harry yelled back, no time to turn around. "Wait, kill?!" Ron repeated, following behind them. "Guys wait! Not so fast!" Hermione ran after them, lagging behind a bit.

Natsu skid around the corner on one foot, a blaze of dust following his skid. Suddenly he stopped and looked around, the other three stopping behind him. "Natsu, what's wrong?" Harry asked. "I hear crawling…." He muttered. "Crawling?" Ron repeated.

The three followed Natsu, his eyes closed, concentration on the sound. Suddenly he stopped, halting the other three behind him. "Down there." Natsu pointed at the ground. Right underneath the window, a firm line of baby spiders crawling out of the window into the forest outside.

"Spiders?" Harry muttered, watching the spiders crawl out. "Spiders don't usually act like this…" Hermione whispered. "I don't like spiders..." Ron cringed. The four of them looked back to where the line began, noticing a red blur in the clean marble of the floor. "What is that?" Ron gasped, the four looking up at the wall. There, up on the wall was a message written in blood, the stain semi dry. Natsu gasped.

"Enemies of the Heir…. Beware?" Hermione read aloud. Natsu stuttered, unable to speak. "Natsu, what's wrong?" Harry asked. "T-this handwriting….." The three other students looked at the message, then back at Natsu. "I-It's….."

Before Natsu could continue, Natsu sharply looked to the left as he smelt something dead. "Oh no….." Natsu whispered, slowly walking towards what he saw. Everyone gasped at what was there. "Filch's cat…." Natsu gagged, watching the lifeless cat spin in mid air, tail hanging from the touch holder.

A thousand footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. The four students looked around, noticing that the entire school had now seen the message and the cat. Lucy pushed through the crowd, and gasped at the message. "Oh no…." She gagged. Gajeel tisked and gritted. " _What is this idiot doing?"_ He thought. Colin slowly lifted up his camera, wanting to take a photo, only for one of the students to push his camera down.

"Natsu, what's going on?" Lucy demanded, only for Natsu unable to say anything.

"Enemies of the Heir beware?" Draco read outloud. He looked at Hermione, a glint in his eye. "You're next mudbloods." He sneered at Hermione. "Out of my way! Janitor coming through!" Filch pushed his way through the crowd up to the confused Harry. "Potter?" Harry gulped, unable to say anything. "What are you…" Then Filch saw it. The thing that they didn't want Filch to see the most.

His eyes widened with grief and sadness, mixed with shock and anger. "Mrs Norris…?" The cat hung there, not even capable of moving a finger from its paw. He then looked at Harry, certain that he did something. "You killed her…." He whispered. Harry shook his head in denial. "YOU KILLED MY CAT!" He howled, grabbing Harry by the collar. "I'll kill you…. I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled, his tone full of hate.

"Argus!" A firm call echoed down the hallway. Everyone gasped and looked at the source of the sound. The students automatically made a path for the wise wizard Dumbledore. Following behind him were the teachers. Wendy put her hands up to her mouth, shocked at the sight. Levy and Mira ran up, catching up to the other teachers. They flinched back, shocked at what was on the wall. "What's going on?! Why are all of you loitering in the hallway?!" Erza demanded, the students avoiding her gaze.

Finally, she looked at the message and gasped. The fairies didn't know what to do. They all knew it was Gray's handwriting… What happened to him?

"Everyone. Proceed to your dormitories immediately…" Everyone began to make their way to their dormitories without a second thought. "Except…" Everyone stopped and looked at Dumbledore, wondering who Dumbledore wanted to see.

"Lucy, Gajeel, Natsu, Harry, Hermione, and Ron."

"E-Eh? Why me? I don't know anything!" Lucy pointed herself, not knowing why Dumbledore wanted to talk to her. "Yeah, I don't know a thing about this. Don't know why you need me." Gajeel shrugged. "You will see me. Everyone else may go." Everyone murmured as they left to their dormitories.

"Why do you want to see us Professor?" Lucy asked. Dumbledore simply held up his hand, signalling Lucy to wait. "Mrs Norris isn't dead Argus. She is simply petrified." Dumbledore explained, his voice calm. "Ah, thought so. So unlucky I wasn't there. I know the exact counter curse that could have spared her."

Everyone looked at Lockhart with an unconvinced look. Lockhart suddenly avoided their eyes and looked back at the cat and the wall. "But how she was petrified, I do not know…" Dumbledore muttered. "Ask him. It's him who done it! You saw what he wrote on the wall!" Filch accused, pointing at Harry. "No, it wasn't me! I swear! I never touched Mrs Norris I swear!" Harry said, defending himself.

"Rubbish!" Filch yelled. "If I may headmaster, maybe Potter and his friends were at the wrong place at the wrong time." Snape interrupted. The students looked at each other in surprise. Professor Snape, defending them?!

"Although… the circumstances are suspicious. I did not see Potter at dinner. Or Mister Dragneel…" Snape deducted, a quick glare to Natsu. "Ah, I can fill that in Snape. They were both serving detention with me." Gilderoy explained, clearing the boys' names. "That's why Ron and I went looking for them Professor." Hermione blurted, Snape turning to Hermione. "We'd just found them, when the said…" Hermione turned to the boys, not sure if they wanted to tell the truth or not about the voices. "Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape asked, intrigued.

"Th-that… we weren't hungry…" Harry muttered. "Y-Yeah. We weren't hungry…" Natsu agreed. Snape stared at Natsu for a while, humming as he walked up to Natsu. "Mister Potter I believe, but for you Mister Dragneel, I've seen you down full pigs and chickens… How can you say you aren't hungry?" He interrogated. "W-Well… uh…" Natsu sweated. "Innocent until proven guilty Professor Snape." Dumbledore reminded Snape, causing him to back off a bit.

"My cat's been petrified! I demand some punishment!" Filch yelled, tears beginning to roll down his face. "We will be able to cure her Argus. As I understand it, Professor Sprout has a healthy growth of mandrake. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs Norris." Dumbledore explained calmly, Filch calming down. "And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution to all." Dumbledore warned, Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodding.

After the three Gryffindors and Filch left for the night, Makarov, who had been standing there quietly, exploded in rage.

"HOW COULD YOU BRATS LET HIM ESCAPE! YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH HIM AT THE MOMENT, THE LEAST YOU COULD DO WAS FIND HIIIIIM!" Makarov yelled with an angry dance to go with it. "Now now master. We were all investigating, they were doing their best." Mira reminded him.

"So Gray was the one who wrote this?" Erza hummed. "It's definitely his handwriting. No doubt about that…." Levy told them examining the writing. "But that's impossible. We've said nothing about the Chamber of Secrets." McGonagall told them. "The Chamber of Secrets? What's that?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. "Hold on! It says right there and you didn't ask then?!" Lucy yelled at him.

"But he's right. What is the Chamber of Secrets?" Wendy asked. Dumbledore once again held up his hand. "All will be revealed at a better time. But for now, we must find Mister Fullbuster before a student finds him." Erza agreed with a nod. "The three of you will try find him. The four of us will continue teaching. Make sure you don't let him escape again. Am I clear…?" She scolded. "Y-Yes ma'am…" The three remaining students muttered, looking at the ground. "As of now, let us be careful. Be prepared." Dumbledore warned on last time, before retiring for the night.

As the groups left for the night, two shadowy figures watched from the end of the corridor. One was small, the other one, slightly taller. As soon as they all left, the two left the corridor through the other way, walking in darkness.

"Things are going well, don't you think?"

"Yes, I agree."

"So, who's the lucky victim?"

"He said the blond one will do nicely."

"I see. And it will bring a great opportunity to fight him."

Both of them chuckled, before disappearing down the Fifth Corridor, disappearing for the night.


	35. Suspicions Among Allies

Lucy, Gajeel, and Natsu sat down, scattered from each other. It was the talk of the whole school, how the mysterious writing appeared, warning about the Chamber of Secrets opening.

"I say it's Snape!"

"No way dude! It's probably Malfoy."  
"What do you think is down there?"

"Where is it?"

Natsu put Happy on his desk, not exactly sure why McGonagall wanted animals in the class. "Natsu…. Why am I here? I wanna go back to sleep…." Happy whined, rubbing his tiny paw on his eye. "Sorry pal. McGonagall wanted animals in today. You can go back once class is over, alright?"

"Whatever today has in store, I am all for it." Lily whispered to Gajeel, determinedly. "Yeah, that's my cat!" Gajeel chuckled, rubbing Lily's head. "What are you doing Redfox?" Draco asked snuffly, walking by Gajeels's desk. "Talking to my cat, what else?" Gajeel shrugged.

"Good morning class." Everyone hushed and went back to their respective seats. Hermione snagged a seat next to Natsu in time, Pansy slid next to Gajeel, not saying a word. Meanwhile, Cho smiled and sat next to Lucy, who simply smiled back.

"Now today, we will be learning how to transform animals into water goblets." McGonagall explained, walking to the crow resting on the perch. Draco gave a look that showed that he was interested, everyone else merely shrugging. "Wait, what?" Happy muttered, shocked. "Like so. One two three, Vera Verto." Instantly, the crow like creature slowly shifted and its body becoming clean and clear. In its place, a glass water goblet.

"Woah!" Everyone awed.

Lily froze, staring at the now transformed Crow. " _Damn it…"_ He thought. Happy blinked a bit, before calmly hopping off the desk and walking to the door. "Happy? Where are you going?" Natsu asked, everyone watching him jump to the door handle and opening it. "No way I'm doing that. I'm going to bed now." And with that, Happy flew off. Everyone blinked at that and turned to McGonagall.

"Don't worry Mister Dragneel. I'll provide you with an animal." She explained, trying not to smile at Happy's actions, as she has never seen such an action before. "Uh, Mister Weasley, why don't you go first?" McGonagall asked, walking over to Ron.

Ron nodded and took out his broken wand. "Remember, one two three, Vera Verto." McGonagall reminded him. Ron nodded and tapped his rat three times. "Vera Verto!" An unhealthy spark flew from his wand into the rat, only completing half of the transformation. All that Ron got was a furry goblet with a wagging tail.

Everyone snickered at Ron's misfortune, McGonagall sighing with a statement of replacement. Ron nodded and looked down. "Right who's next? Miss Granger?" She asked, looking at Hermione. Hermione put down her pen and looked down, something clearly on her mind.

"A-Actually, Professor McGonagall…. I was hoping…. If you would… tell us exactly what the Chamber of Secrets is….?" Everyone instantly looked up, their faces asking her to tell them. McGonagall, her face surprised, looked at Gajeel, Lucy, and Natsu, their faces pleading with her the most. They wanted to know.

They _needed_ to know.

"...Very well…. You all know, of course, how Hogwarts was founded." She started, strolling down the classroom. "It was founded over a thousand years ago, by the four greatest Witches and Wizards of Age. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Now, three of the founders co-existed quite harmoniously. One… did not."

"Three guesses who." Ron muttered to Harry.

"Salazar Slytherin wished to be more selective of the students selected into Hogwarts. He believed, that magical learning should be kept within all magic families. In other words, pure-bloods." McGonagall continued, pointing at Draco.

Draco gave Hermione a look, Hermione glaring at him ice daggers in return.

"Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. Now. According to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber within the castle, known as The Chamber of Secrets. Though shortly after departing, he sealed it. Until his own true heir returns to the school."

Susan and Justin looked at each other, worried if this had anything to do with Gray's random behaviour. Natsu looked back at Lucy, both of them giving looks of concerns to each other. Lily hummed, and Gajeel looked down at him, concerned.

"The heir alone will be able to open the Chamber. And unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school all those, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic." She finished, adjusting her glasses. "Muggleborns." Hermione thought outloud.

McGonagall nodded, and pointed her wand at Hermione. "Of course, the school has been searched many times. No such chamber has been found." The teacher clarified, hoping to ease her worried students. "Professor, what does legend tell what is dormant in the chamber?" Hermione asked, one last question.

"It is said that inside is a creature that only the heir of Slytherin can control. They believe that it is the home…. Of a monster."

Everyone looked at each other concerned, some wishing they never knew why. Ron had a panicked look on his face and immediately looked at Malfoy, who smiled at him as if he already knew this. Gajeel subtly eyed Natsu who nodded, knowing what they were dealing with now. Lucy tsked, knowing she would have to talk to the others about this.

Hermione looked at the three of them, subtly looking at each other as if they were planning something. " _That's it. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."_ She decided, snapping her head back to the front.

"Do you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked, strolling with Hermione and Harry. "Yes!" Hermione sighed aggressively, rolling her eyes. "Every one of the teachers are worried." She argued, debunking Ron's question. "Well… let's just say there is a Chamber of Secrets, and let's say it has been opened, then that means…."

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts. The question, who is it?" Hermione asked, looking at the boys. Ron had a bit of a thought, until when Draco and his goonies pushed past Ron, Gajeel the last one past him. "Let's think. Who in Slytherin we know who hates all Muggle-borns-"

"If you're talking about Malfoy…" Hermione interrupted in a sort of disapproving tone, perhaps worried that Ron would call Draco something stupid again. "Of course I'm talking about Malfoy! You heard him, 'You'll be next Mud-Bloods.'"

Hermione scoffed, knowing what she heard. "I just find it ridiculous that Malfoy is the heir." She reasoned. "But Hermione, Ron may be right! I mean, look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin for centuries." Harry reasoned.

Ron smiled, finally having a good idea. "Crabbe and Goyle are his best friends. Maybe we can trick them into telling us!" He said with pride. "Even those two muttonheads aren't that thick." Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "What about Gajeel?" Harry asked, looking at Ron and Hermione.

"He's in on something. And frankly, I don't trust Lucy or Natsu either. Even Gray when he was still here." Hermione said blatantly. "Why?" Ron asked. Hermione scoffed, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "All of them are acting weird. A Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, AND a Slytherin sitting in the same cart is a recipe for disaster, and yet they were all acting like they were friends! But at the beginning of last year, they acted like they didn't know each other." Hermione reasoned.

"I'm pretty sure that's called making friends." Ron said, a bit confused. "Yes, but all of them are in different houses!" She tried telling him again. "Oh right…. Yeah, that is a bit weird." Ron admitted, now thinking about it.

"Anyway…" Hermione continued. "Crabbe and Goyle are our best chances. And I think I know how. But we'll be breaking about fifty school rules, and not to mention it will be dangerous. Very. Dangerous." Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged. "Guess it's the only way." Ron sighed. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Follow me." Hermione turned and walked down, the others following her. As she did, stopped, noticing Gajeel with Lucy and Natsu, all three of them staring at them. As if they had preying eyes. Harry stopped, Ron bumping into his back. "Why'd you stop?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

As soon as the fairies noticed she was looking at them, they all turned away and nodded, before Lucy and Natsu splitted ways, leaving Gajeel alone, before Draco called him over. "Hermione, is something wrong?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione's direction, then back her. "I'll tell you later. Let's go." She said, and started walking again.

Hermione skimmed the books on the shelves, and tapped on the book she needed. She pulled it out and opened it to the page she needed. "Here it is. The Polyjuice Potion. When properly brewed, this potion will have the ability to transform you into the physical form another being temporarily." Hermione read. "So if Harry and I drink that stuff, then we could transform into Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron clarified. "Yes."

"Wicked, Malfoy will tell us anything! Let's do it!" Ron whispered triumphantly. "Well, the truth is…. It will take a while. I've never seen such a complex potion." Hermione admitted, flipping the pages. "Well, how long will it take…?" Harry asked, looking Ron, then at Hermione. Hermione put a worried looked on her face, as she looked at her friends.

"A month…." Hermione said sheepishly.

"Wait a month?! Hermione, if Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin, what's to stop him from striking the muggle-borns in the next month?" Harry whispered violently. "I know. But it's the only plan we got." Hermione told him, concerned as he was.

As the three students looked at each other, a dark shadow that was leaning on the bookshelf huffed and stood up straight. He put his hands in the pockets of his robe and walked away. Hermione shifted her position, sensing something was watching them.

"Hermione? You ok? You've been acting weird lately." Ron asked, a bit concerned at her weird behaviour. "No, it's nothing." She lied, looking back at them. "So what did you see back there?" Ron asked. "Gajeel, Natsu, and Lucy were looking at me weirdly. I think they're onto us." She whispered.

"Hermione, you're conspiring over nothing." Ron sighed, he and Harry leaving. Hermione's jaw was dropped, watching them leave. "Oh, why do I bother…" She muttered, stomping behind them.


	36. Teaching Words

Harry ran as fast as he could through the burning forest. He leapt aver a fallen amber tree, and continued his chase. He could see them. They were right there! The four figures who saved him that night, walking slowly away from him. He yelled out to them to wait, demanding to know who they are. But they didn't turn or flinch to his call, as if they didn't hear him.

Harry kept running towards them, but for some reason couldn't catch up to them. He called out one more time, reaching out for them. But as he did, a fire phoenix erupted from the flames, flying Harry back, his back skidding in the dirt.

As he scrambled up, he saw the four figures standing in front of the flaming bird, looking at him. Harry panted, staring at them before calling out one last time. The four figures said nothing, then one of them stepped forward. As the figure extended their hand, Harry could see the hand was one of a woman's. Harry looked down, seeing ten golden keys with a few silver keys dangling from her belt.

"Who are you….?" Harry asked.

"Harry….. Do you trust us?" She asked.

Harry looked at her hand, then looked at her hidden face. "Do you trust us?" She repeated again, the heat of the fire scorching Harry's skin. Before he could say or do anything, an invisible force dragged Harry back, away from the four figures. The last thing he saw was symbol, like a Phoenix riding on a wind.

Harry gasped, kicking the bed sheets off his body. He panted, looking around the room. It was normal, everyone asleep. He wiped his brow, his hand drenched in his sweat. He gave a violent sigh, and held his head in his hands.

" _What was that dream? That was weird… Who are they…?"_

He closed his eyes as he laid back down, the sudden image of a gold key blinking in his mind. He snapped his eyes open, knowing who could help him with this mystery. The next morning, Harry rushed out the Common Room, past Ron and Hermione, who was still getting ready for the day.

"Where's Harry going?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione. Hermione just shrugged, looking back at Ron. "Anyway, I'm off to the Quidditch field. I'm going to watch Fred and George. If I want to be on the Quidditch Team one day, and if I want to be Head Boy."

As soon as Ron finished his sentence, his three older brothers came down the stairs, rubbing Ron's hair. "Try all you want! As we, the older ones, will try to keep the bar up so high you won't reach it." Fred teased, walking out first. "Don't worry Ron, even though you may not make it to Quidditch, you can still try to be Head Boy. Maybe." George teased as well, following Percy out.

Ron looked down, his brother's snarky comments making her spirits plummet a bit. "Anyway… I'll see you later." Ron waved Hermione goodbye, and left. Hermione sighed, and stepped out. "Right, now I need to find these ingredients…."

As Hermione walked the halls, she turned to get to the library. As she did, Draco and his possy walked into her, stopping in her face. "Oh look. It's the mud-blood." Everybody laughed, except for Gajeel, as he was trying to play it cool. "Where's Potter and Weasley? Abandon you?" Hermione stayed silent at Draco's words, trying to compose herself. "Huh. I guess Weasley finally woke up. Good thing too. I doubt he'd want to be friends with you after he's dragged down with you into the Chamber." Draco sneered.

"Those are only rumours Malfoy." Hermione gritted. "Are they? Or is Potter and Weasley only trying to save their own skin. Maybe they should have stayed with you. That way Weasley and Potter would be out of the way. And all because of you. You filthy mud-blood."

Everyone laughed, bumping Hermione's shoulder as they passed by her. Gajeel was the only one who stayed behind. Hermione took a breath, and looked at Gajeel. "What do you want? You going to mock me as well?" She asked. "Not my style kid." He said out of habit.

"You're the same age as me Redfox." She informed him, odd that she called her kid. Gajeel simply shrugged. "Anyway, see ya around shortstack." Gajeel said, walking past her, ruffling her wavy hair.

Hermione looked down, all alone again. " _Is it true? Is there no one I can trust anymore…?"_

Levy hummed as she climbed the ladder to the top of the book shelf, holding many of the library books she was reading earlier. The students whispered around, as they all weren't allowed to talk in the library. Naturally.

"Professor McGarden?" A sweet voice asked, Levy turning to look down at who was calling out to her. "Oh, Miss Granger. What a surprise! How may I help you?" Levy asked with a smile. "Um… is it alright if I talk to you?" Hermione asked, sounding like something was on her chest. Levy blinked at Hermione a few times, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

The two sat next to each other on the fountain rim, the water trickling down behind them. "So what do you want to talk about?" Levy asked, her hands supporting her weight in a relaxed position. Hermione looked down, biting her lip. "Professor McGarden … Do you ever feel like…. Any minute you're going to be betrayed? By the closest people you know?" She asked, her hands folded nicely in her lap, knees together.

Levy tilted her head, not knowing what she meant. "What do you mean Miss Granger? And why do you want to discuss this with me? I mean, you're not even in my class yet, and I believe this is the first time we ever sat down to talk." Levy chuckled. Hermione shrugged. "I don't know…. I just feel like you're the only teacher I can trust. I told Ron and Harry about this, but they don't believe me. And I feel like the other teachers wouldn't understand…. And after what happened with Gray, and Zach, and Ernie, and Justin, and…." She explained, slightly looking at Levy. "I guess I'm just worried that there's no one I can trust. And with the Chamber rumours…."

Levy stayed silent, then looked at her feet, thinking. "That's not true at all Hermione." Hermione looked at Levy, her head tilted at what she meant. "From what I've seen, Ron, Harry, and even Natsu are there for you always. You have amazing friends." Levy smiled. Hermione sighed softly, and looked down at the ground. "I know…. But… what happens if something like Gray happens again…?"

Levy could now see where Hermione was coming from. She was worried that her friends would turn against her and end up like Gray. And her being a muggle-born didn't help her case. If anything, it made her more of a target.

"Well, a few years ago, there was an incident. We were at war with those who thought were better than us. It even evolved to the stage where it was dangerous for us to go out alone. Unfortunately, my team and I were attacked badly and publicly humiliated." Levy looked at her stomach and rubbed it lightly. "A few months later, our same assailant came to where we worked and I was forced to team up with him. Of course I was very edgy about him and I felt like I could never trust him…." Hermione looked at Levy, wondering where she was going with this.

"But the truth is… after all those years, he became the best thing that ever happened to me. I know I wouldn't get this far without his help." Levy smiled, looking at the sky. "So… what are you saying Professor?" Hermione asked, leaning forward a bit. "People can change over time. Even though you don't trust them now. And even if you're right, you'll have amazing people beside you. And don't forget, people aren't born into evil automatically. There's always a reason to why they are doing it." Levy smiled.

Hermione looked at Levy, then back at the ground, still unsure of what to make of this. Levy looked at her, then looked down at her feet. "Tell you what. If you feel like you're being watched or threatened, and there's no one you feel like you can talk to, then you can come to me. Alright?" Levy smiled.

Hermione looked at Levy, then smiled slightly. She and Levy looked at the clear blue sky and smiled. "Okay." She agreed.

Ron rubbed his hands together, and huffed into them. He hunched over his body, watching the his brothers practicing their bludgeoning.

"Ready Fred?!"

"Ready George!"

George tossed the bludger high into the air, and hit is as hard as he could towards his brother. Fred battered up and hit the ball hard and straight into the ten point goal. George cheered and zoomed towards his brother, high fiving him as they flew towards each other. Ron turned to the left and saw Percy nose deep in a book, his Gryffindor House badge glinting in the sunlight.

Ron sighed, his breath physicalizing into crisp fog. "Mister Weasley." Ron looked up suddenly at his name, meeting eyes with the beautiful Mirajane Strauss. "May I sit next to you?" She asked, smiling. "O-Oh, sure Professor…" Ron agreed, shifting over a bit, even though he was on his own. Mira smiled and sat politely next to him.

He examined her up and down, wondering why a Slytherin teacher wanted to sit next to him. Surely she had better things to do.

"Seems your brothers are doing great at practise. To be honest, I'm quite excited about the Quidditch Match tomorrow." Mira smiled, watching the brothers practise. "I wonder if you Weasleys are sporty." She pondered. "Not really. Percy's more of an introvert rather than a sporty type." Ron gestured his head over to his other brother, still reading his book.

Mira hummed, and looked at Ron who visibly sighed and supported his head with his hand. He looked around, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

" _Try all you want! As we, the older ones, will try to keep the bar up so high you won't reach it."_

Mira hummed, then poked Ron in the cheek smiling cheekily. "Bit jealous of your brothers?" She teased, winking a bit.

Ron jumped at her sudden jab in his cheek and looked around, his cheeks red and flustered. "W-What?! No!" He denied, moving away from her a bit. "Ron, I know a sibling related face when I see one." She smiled winking. "How do you know?" Ron asked the Slytherin teacher. Mira simply smiled and took off what looked like to be a heart necklace. She clicked open a button and the locket flipped open.

"This is my younger brother and sister, Elfman and Lisanna." Mira placed the locket forward. Inside a drawing of a petite young girl and a buffed up young man who looked like a giant. Ron's eyes opened at the drawing, amazed at the resemblance. "Bloody hell! How often does your brother work out?!" Ron gasped. Mira giggled and looked at the drawing of her family.

"Well, ever since our parents died, I had to step up as a sibling. But everyone in my village feared me. They called me Demon Child." Mira looked at her right hand, opening it and closing it. "I feared for my brother and sister. We had to flee. After a tragic accident, Elfman decided to become the man of the family. That's why he trains to become strong. And so do I." Mira closed the locket and put it around her neck again.

"As the older sibling, we look after the younger ones. And the younger ones try to surpass the older ones. You may not find your rhythm yet, but you will soon. So try to aim high, alright?" Mira smiled, ruffling Ron's hair.

Ron blinked a bit, not sure what was happening right now. "Professor Strauss… How are you Slytherin? You're way too nice to be one." Ron asked, very curious. "Well like I said. I'm a Demon Child." She smiled again, and stood up. "It was nice talking to you Mister Weasley. Remember to try practise the spells I gave you." She gave a slight bow, shocking Ron even more. Slytherins never respect others! And to a Gryffindor no less.

"Yeah of course. Thank you Professor Strauss." Ron thanked her, nodding his head a bit.

She smiled and gave a twirl. As she did, her body became smaller, and her arms became wings. Her face became flat, only a small beak sticking out. Her skin became white as snow, her legs forming to one of a bird's.

Ron watched in amazement, as she turned into a teacher to a beautiful white owl.

Mira gave a final hoot and flew off towards the school. Ron watched her fly off, smiling as he felt a lot better. "Thank you Professor…" He whispered.

Erza was walking down the courtyard corridor, a stern look in her eye. All the students that walked passed her payed no attention to her, as they feared that they will get a cold stab back. As she walked past, each student immediately turned to whisper about her.

"Professor Scarlett!"

Erza turned around, humming in a questioned tone. Harry ran up to her, and stopped in front her panting a bit. "Mister Potter, what can I do for you?" She asked, a bit strict but at the same time sounding happy to help. "Professor Scarlett, last year you taught us about keys?" He began, still gasping for a bit of air. Erza stared at him, her face very hard to read.

"I mentioned it yes." She admitted, turning around fully to face him. "Why do you ask?" She asked, her stern stare almost making Harry gulp. "Is it alright if you tell me everything you know about these keys?" Harry asked. Erza stayed silent, thinking for a bit. "Why do you wish to know? You're not searching for these keys, are you Mister Potter?" Erza asked, her tone a bit concerned. "N-No of course not…. I'm just curious." Harry told her plainly.

"Good. These keys are very rare and very dangerous. But not in the way you think. Think as these keys as your wizard trading cards. Some are very common and everyone can find them. Others are ultra rare, and are one of a kind. That's why possession of these keys are dangerous. People are after them, and will do any means necessary to have them. Do you understand Harry?" Erza questioned him, a hand on her hip. Harry nodded, understanding.

"Good. Now you definitely promise that you won't try find these keys?" Erza asked again, Harry nodding again. Erza nodded again, as she turned away, facing away from Harry. "If you do wish to find these keys, you will have no luck. They are impossible to find." And with that, Erza began to walk away. Harry blinked a bit, before remembering the figure wielding a golden key.

"Wait! Professor Scarlett!" Harry called out following her around the corner into one of the dark corridors. "I saw someone with a key!" Erza stopped suddenly, Harry bumping into her slightly, his glasses becoming a bit crooked on his face. "They summoned a man. I think she said Leo… as in Leo the Lion!"

"Mister Potter… My knowledge on the keys is limited. I can't answer everything about them." She told him, her tone very serious. "But Professor Scarlett… I saw someone with the key! I just feel like I need to know about the keys! Please tell me! I need to know!" Harry argued.

"Harry." Erza said sternly once more. Harry looked at Erza's flowing red hair. Erza flicked her wrist, her wand snapping out of her sleeve. She flicked it up in the air, a golden glow flashing before Harry's eyes. A sword spun in the air, as Erza grabbed the hilt with her free hand and swung it at Harry. He gasped and fell back, the sword in his face.

Harry panted and whimpered a bit, staring at the tip of her sword. As he looked at Erza's eyes, her eyes were dilated and stone cold. Her eyes one of a murderer. She closed her eyes, and pulled the sword away, a heavy clink coming from the weapon. She rested it by her side, the sword hanging loosely from her hand. "You need to work on your reflexes. We'll work on it next class." She said coldly, walking away as a red and gold light engulf the sword as it disappeared.

Harry was so stunned, that he stayed on the floor watching her walk away into the light of the day. Hermione was right. She was hiding something.

Something big.


	37. Ghosts of Secrect Pasts

**May update**

Harry groaned, as he blinked awake. "Wha…. What happened…" He slurred, slowly sitting up. "Harry! You're awake!" Lucy and Natsu ran to his side, all his friends in Gryffindor at his side as well. Harry could hear faint groans from Malfoy, who had Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Gajeel by his side.

Harry looked around in a daze wondering what was going on. "W-Wait, what happened?" Harry asked again, more clearly this time. "Don't you remember? You fainted after Lockheart casted that…..healing…. Spell on you." Hermione reminded him.

Harry looked down at his injured arm, and slowly poked his arm. Only to feel it to be squishy. Like jello. Harry gagged a bit, holding his free hand to his mouth. "Yeah I know… Professor Marvel passed out when she realised what Lockheart did." Ron said, pointing at the bed behind them.

"No bones….. No bones…" Wendy slurred, her arms twitching, eyes blank and white from the shock.

"Hey! But in good news! You caught the snitch! Gryffindor won thanks to you Harry!" Natsu praised, patting Harry on the back. "It was so close! Slytherin was ninety and Gryffindor thirty! I thought Gajeel was going to win again!" Natsu groaned, rubbing his head.

"I ain't playing you idiot!"

"Your house ain't it?!"

"But that ball rouge bludger did do a number on your arm… " Lucy muttered. "The ball could have done more than that! It could have bloody killed him!" Ron yelled, gesturing to Harry. "Well if you let me get out there, then I would have stopped it in time." Natsu boasted proudly. "No, all you would have done was cause a panic and a bigger mess than it is now." Lucy said, a bit ticked off.

Harry smiled a bit as the couple bickered, grateful that Gryffindor won once again to his efforts. "Oh hey! Check out what Colin gave me!" Natsu smiled, pulling out a photo frame and showed it to Harry. The photo was of Harry and Draco, flying side by side trying to reach for the Snitch. The look in their eyes were ones of rivalry and despise. "I swear, Colin's going to be a fine photographist when he grows up." Natsu smiled.

"Oh stop whining Mister Malfoy, you can go! Out of my way, out of my way!" Pomfrey suddenly pushed the concerned friends away, with a porcelain bottle in her hand. "You should have brought him here or let Professor Marvel take care of it! We would have fixed it in a heartbeat! But growing back bones…"

"You will be able to grow them back won't you?" Hermione asked. "Oh of course, but it's a long and painful process." She explained, pouring the medicine in a glass. "You'll be in for a rough night Potter… Growing back bones is a nasty business." She tsked, as Harry drank the medicine without hesitation.

Or at least he tried to. The taste was so revolting that he spat it right back out. "Well what do you expect?! Pumpkin juice?!" The nurse cried, quite passive aggressively. Harry groaned as she poured him another drink. Once Harry forcefully drank the medicine, the nurse turned to the visitors and those faking their injuries.

"Now, you lot. Out!" She demanded, pushing everyone out before everyone could even blink, the door shutting the door behind them. "What just happened…." Natsu whispered, looking back at the door.

"No bones…" Wendy whispered again, her body slouching over, eyes still blank and shocked.

" _Natsu…"_

" _Kill…."_

" _Natsu, you are my only hope."_

" _Kill them!"_

" _Natsu. Please. Help me…"_

" _KILL THEM ALL!"_

"Natsu wake up!"

Natsu gasped and sat up, his brow sweating heavily. "Natsu, are you alright? I was waiting for half an hour for you to come down." Natsu blinked, and looked up a bit, and saw Lucy next to him, her hand on his shoulder. "Natsu, are you alright?" She asked, concerned at his appearance. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." He stuttered, his hand shaking as he wiped his brow.

"Natsu, are you sick or something? If you are, I can do the patrol alone…" Lucy whispered, not wanting to let the others know that a member of a different House Member, let alone a girl, was inside the Gryffindor boys dormitories.

"No, it's alright Lucy, I'll go with you. If the Chamber of Secrets really has opened, then we can't let anyone else fall to the extent of what happened to Gray." Natsu reasoned, sighing as he sat up. "Are you sure? I don't want you to be sick on patrol." Lucy muttered, feeling his forehead. "Don't worry Luce, I'll be fine." Natsu smiled forcefully.

" _Kill…."_

Natsu jolted up, his head swiftly looking around. "Natsu, are you sure you're alright?" Lucy asked again.

" _Kill them all!"_

"Oh no…" Natsu muttered. "What? Natsu, what's wrong?" Lucy asked, now fully concerned. "It's going to strike again!" Natsu whispered violently, bolting from his bed. "Wait, Natsu!" Lucy called softly, running after him.

" _Kill… kill… KILL… KILL THEM ALL!"_

The moment Natsu reached the lobby of the Common Room, he stopped and gasped, not believing his eyes. Lucy finally caught up to him, and saw what Natsu saw. She too gasped, hands to her mouth. Colin was frozen stiff, his camera in front of his face.

"No way…" Lucy gagged. "Lucy! Go get McGonagall, Erza and Dumbledore!" Natsu ordered, Lucy rushing out with no hesitation. "What the hell happened to you Colin…?" Natsu gritted.

Harry tossed in his bed, his arm in excruciating pain.

" _Kill…"_

Harry sat up instantly and grabbed his glasses. He looked around for the source of the sound.

" _Kill…. Kill… kill…. Killll….."_

Harry looked around again, until he looked in front of him. There in front of him was a small brown elf with vibrant green eyes, dressed in rags. "Mister Potter sir!" He exclaimed happily.

"D-Dobby?!" Harry exclaimed, looking at Dobby. "Dobby tried to warn Harry Potter. Harry Potter is in danger! Harry Potter should have returned home when the train left!" Harry blinked a bit, before the pieces clicked. "Wait… You were the one that blocked the doorway?! You nearly got Ron, Natsu, and I expelled!" Harry said, his tone angry. "But at least you would be safe…. After Dobby sent the bludger after Harry Potter, Dobby was sure that-"

"Wait… YOUR bludger?!" Harry repeated. Dobby gasped, regretting what he said. Dobby nodded, saying that he felt remorse, and ironed his hands as punishment, showing his burns and bandages.

"You could have killed me!" Harry gritted. "Oh no sir! Never kill! Just to protect Harry Potter!" Dobby squealed in his defense. "Dobby, you'd better pray that my arm won't heal right now so I don't strangle you…" Harry gritted, trying to compose himself.

Dobby screamed and scrambled off the bed, Harry following him. "Dobby is used to death threats… Dobby gets them five times a day at home… Ever since Harry Potter defeated… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… House Elves have been subjected to slavery…. But Dobby is still abused…" Dobby began to cry, and blew his nose into his clothes.

"Dobby… why do you wear that thing…?" Harry asked. "This is a symbol. That Dobby is a slave. Dobby is only freed once Dobby's master hands Dobby a piece of clothing…" Dobby explained.

A bang came from the corridor, Dobby jumping up on the bed. "Harry Potter must listen…. Harry Potter must leave! Hogwarts is in grave danger! If you do not, history will repeat itself!" Dobby argued. "Wait, repeat history..?" Harry noted. Dobby gasped, and banged his head against the medicine bottle Harry took earlier. "Stupid Dobby, stupid Dobby, Stupid Dobby!"

"No, D-Dobby! Dobby! Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" Harry gritted, taking the bottle away from him. "Dobby, what happened?" Harry asked. "Dobby cannot say…" Harry grabbed Dobby by his clothes and demanded an answer.

BANG!

Dobby panicked and shook his head. He snapped his fingers and disappeared into mist.

"Bring him in…"

Harry gasped and leaped into bed, pretending to sleep. "Careful… careful…" Harry heard rustling from another bed.

"What happened to him?" McGonagall asked, concerned of what happened. "I was coming down the stairs, and he was like this…. But I heard a whisper before Lucy and I found him." A whisper came from them.

" _Wait… Natsu…?"_ Harry thought.

"Why would anyone do this…?" A female voice gasped, very upset.

" _Is that Lucy…?"_

"Check the camera. Maybe he took a picture of his assailant." A firm voice advised. A voice that clearly belonged to Erza. Dumbledore struggled a bit to pull the camera out of Colin's hands, his eyes shut tight. A sharp gasp came from Lucy, as she looked at his face. Dumbledore opened the film reel, only for it to blow up.

"What does this mean…?" McGonagall whispered. "It means that what we feared has come true. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." Dumbledore explained. "What should we tell the others?" Erza asked, her tone strict and composed. "Tell them everything. Tell them that Hogwarts is in grave danger."

Harry's eyes widened in horror, not knowing what to think about all this.

"Alright. Natsu, Lucy, be on guard. You may go. We will talk about this later." Erza told them.

Footsteps walked out, until silence dominated the room. Harry sat up, and slowly made his way out of the bed. Step by step he made his way to Colin's bed, his eyes widened at the sight. "Oh no… Colin…" He whispered.

"This has gone too far! We have to do something!" Makarov exclaimed, banging his fist on the table. "Do you think Gray is involved with this…?" Levy pondered. "Who else besides Dumbledore could know about this…." Mira asked. "I have an idea who…." Mavis smiled mischievously. "I was going through this file about six months ago. I think you'll find this intriguing…."

A file floated down to the table, landing in front of Makarov first. "This is…" Makarov gasped. Wendy was the last to read the file, humming. "But how can we get to him? I mean he's-"

"I have an idea." Wendy exclaimed, standing up.

 **Half an hour later**

Wendy scrapped on the ground with a long stick, revealing all her comrades relaxing and waiting behind her.

"So why are we here again?" Natsu asked, leaning on the podium next to Lucy. "Remember when Wendy summoned the Jade Dragon at the Coliseum? Well she thought if Milky Way could summon a dragon, then maybe it can summon a human." Lucy explained. "And we're down here in the Third Corridor why?" Natsu asked, looking around the dusted room. "Don't you remember dimwit? Harry defeated Quibble down here. Maybe he knows something." Gajeel gritted, tired of Natsu's stupid mind.

"Quibble? Who was he again?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. "Don't you remember?! Last year's Defence Teacher who had Voldemort on the back of his head!" Lucy yelled at him, pointing to the back of her head. "Uh…...Oh yeah! Him! What about him again?" Everyone sighed aggressively, facepalming. "Just lean back and watch." Lucy said staily, Natsu simply shrugged and leaned back looked back at Wendy.

"There we go, all done." Wendy sighed happily, looking down at her work. "You sure this is going to work? I mean it works on dragons, but humans..?" Lucy asked, a bit skeptical. "Well, it's the only chance we got. I changed the symbol from dragon to humans, so if there is a human soul down here I might find it. Anyway, are all ready?"

Everyone nodded and closed their eyes. A warm light emerged on their bodies, and burst into sparkles, white cloaks flapping above their backs. The students could feel their bodies grow back to how it used to be before they were dragged into all this. Once everyone's' identity was safe, Wendy took her position and began the spell.

"Oh Wandering Human Souls, I Would Recieve Your Voices. Milky Way!"

Wendy thrust her hands into the air, her cape floating lightly from her body. The circle began to glow. Not an emerald green, but a dark purple. A purple ripple flew through the sky, dusts of the colour wandered around the room, Wendy concentrating on trying to find a soul. "Anything Wendy?" Erza asked, her arms folded.

"No, not yet…. Wait! I found something!" Wendy brought her hands together, and began concentrating as if she was praying. The purple soul began to gather energy around itself. A soft screaming came into their ears, everyone looking around wondering what the screaming was. "Is that…?" Everyone slowly looked to the soul evolving, until a bald man dressed in robes burst out, screaming in fury.

"HARRY POTTER!" He screamed, holding his head. Suddenly he snapped his head to the seven cloaked figures, standing there calmly, even though on the inside they got a bit of a fright.

"Professor Quirrell." Erza called out, bravely to the deceased. Quirrell snapped his head to the voice. His eyes widened at their sight. "You…" He whispered, pointing at them. "You MONSTROUS PESTS! Do you have ANY IDEA what you have DONE?!" He roared, as he leaped towards them. He leapt towards the man with the ruby stoned cloak, who simply stood there.

Quirrell tried to grab the man by tackling him, but only fell through. "W...What?!" He turned around, seeing the cloaked members turn around towards him. "How… How did you…?!" He demanded, wanting to know.

"We understand that you were studying the Dark Lord." A stern female voice cut him off, wanting to get straight to the chase. "I was. He had a mind like no other! It was incredible!" He laughed. "What else did you discover?" A woman with an emerald asked. "Anything about a Chamber of Secrets?"

Quirrell froze. "I…. I know nothing!" He denied. "Quirrell… Tell us now!" The woman with the ruby gem gritted. "Why should I?" He asked, snarky like. "If you don't, then we'll force you out of it." The man with the ruby gem threatened.

Suddenly a hand crossed across the angry man's body, a pink mark visible on her hand. He looked at her in confusement as she stepped forward.

"The truth is… we want to follow the Dark Lord."

Everyone looked at her, wondering what she was playing at. "Y-You do…? Quirrell asked in confusement. "Yes. We wanted to steal the Stone for ourselves so that we would please the Dark Lord. But now we realise you are the superior. Please teach us." She asked, bowing.

Quirrell froze, processing this information. As he did, the man that was stopped grabbed the woman's shoulder and whispered to her.

"Lucy, are you crazy?!"

"We've been looking at this all wrong. He's obsessed with Voldemort. And obsessive people… Can't stop talking about their obsessions."

"...I see…. Very well. I shall tell you everything I know… it all started…. A thousand years ago..."

"Again? What does he mean again? The Chamber of Secrets has been open before?" Hermione asked Harry as she slowly churned to cauldron, filled with the ingredients of the complex Polyjuice Potion. "Of course! Don't you see?" Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, who was leaning comfortably on the bathroom stall arms folded. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened it while he was at school here. And now he's asked Draco to do it." He reasoned.

"Maybe." Hermione sighed. "We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to be sure." She continued, shaking a bottle and tapping it into the cauldron. The potion began to mystify and bubble as she put the jar down and reached for the next potion.

"Tell me something. Why are we brewing this potion in the middle of broad daylight in the Girls' Lavatory?" Ron asked, giving Hermione a very confused look. "Don't you think we might get caught?" Hermione gave a muffled laugh as she reached for the next ingredient. "No. No one ever comes in here." She explained.

"...Why?" Ron asked, giving a brief look at Harry. "Moaning Myrtle." Hermione replied. "Who?" Ron asked. As he did, a pale transparent figure floated out of one of the cubicle, staring at Ron. She wore glasses, her hair in pigtails and an old Hogwarts Uniform. "Moaning Myrtle." Hermione repeated again, gulping a bit when she spotted the figure. Harry's eyes opened wide at the ghost girl, as she slowly floated towards them. "Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked again.

"I'M Moaning Myrtle!" She yelled. Ron immediately went into a retreat like defense, his arms swung back, chest puffed out, stunned by the sudden appearance. Myrtle floated up above the basins and turned around to face the visitors. "I wouldn't expect YOU to know who I am! Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, lonely, Moaning Myrtle?" She squeaked, before letting out a high pitched shriek as she flew down around the bathroom, before disappearing down a toilet, letting out a big splash.

"She's a little sensitive…" Hermione told Ron, who gave his "Thanks-for-the-late-tip" face.

BOOM!

Everyone gasped at the sudden swing of the door. Hermione hastily stuffed the ingredients in her basket, moving the cauldron into a cubical. "I thought you said no one comes in here!" Ron whispered, he and Harry helping her pack. "I thought so too!" She hissed. They could hear the footsteps getting louder and louder. The three managed to fit the last ingredient in, before running into a cubical and locked themselves in.

All of them held their breaths.

Harry looked down, seeing a fuzzy shadow walking down the hallway. He put a hand on his mouth to muffle his breathing. Ron, squeezed his eyes shut, hoping the figure would go away soon. Hermione took slow deep breaths, composing herself.

"That's funny… thought I heard someone in here…. Maybe it was that ghost again…"

The voice sounded familiar. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but the girl's voice sounded like he knew her, but at the same time it was different. The shadow began to move the other way, a squeak of a tap echoed, following was the sound of rushing water.

"Oh it's you! I haven't seen you since a few months ago. Did you find out what made your friend insane?" A whoosh sound flew past the cubicle, presumably towards the girl. "Oh hey again. Uh… I'm sorry, I didn't get your name the last time I was here." The girl said, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"I'M Moaning Myrtle!" Myrtle squeaked. "But why are you wearing that white cloak? And you look so different than the last time I saw you."

"White Cloak?" The trio thought. "Wait… that night…" Harry whispered to himself. Hermione had to see this. That night… maybe it wasn't a dream… Ron thought about what Harry and Hermione told him, despite not believing them in the first place.

The three of them slowly stepped towards the door, and slowly opened it, a slight creak coming from their hinges. What they saw, as a lady in a white cloak, her face obscured by the hood.

"Oh, it's nothing much. But I'm doing my rounds at the moment." She explained, holding her right hand out. Harry gasped. On her hand, the mark he saw in his dream, and the mark he saw in the Third Corridor that night.

"So it wasn't a dream.." Harry thought to himself. Hermione's eyes were the same. Now she knew it wasn't a dream. She and Ron were really carried by figures in white. Ron finally believed them. That they were figures in white. But he was still skeptical about the whole "Magic-without-wands" Story.

"Anyway, did anything suspicious happen here in after Gray went insane?" The girl asked.

"Gray?" Harry mouthed.

"Insane?" Hermione repeated.

"What does she mean?" Ron whispered out loud.

"Why would there be? No one ever comes in here to see poor, lonely, ugly, Moaning Myrtle!" Myrtle let out a high pitched scream, making everyone in the bathroom jump sharply, before Moaning Myrtle flyed around the bathroom, disappearing down the basin.

Everyone stood there for a good while, making sure their ears stopped ringing before shaking their heads out of it. The girl sighed and turned off the faucet, the flow of water cutting off its sound. Suddenly she sharply turned around, her face covered in black.

The three spying on her quickly turned their heads back, holding their breaths. She stood there for a few seconds, her head slightly looking from left to right. Then without another word, she left.

The three other students, suddenly burst out looking at each other. "See?! They really were down there! They saved us that night!" Harry yelled, pointing at the door. "I thought it was a dream! I… I didn't know!" Hermione babbled. "Well… I still say that magic without wands is impossible!" Ron argued, panting a bit. "Who was that?!" Harry asked. Looking at the door. "I- I don't know…." Hermione stuttered, a bit shaken.

A soft shake came from one of the stalls, Hermione's eyes widening in horror and rushed over to the stall that contained the cauldron. "The Potion!" She gasped in horror, checking the potion. "Oh good, it's not ruined…" She sighed in relief, stirring the pot.

"Let's not worry about it at the moment. Let's focus on this potion, then we'll try figure out who she is." Hermione reasoned. Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, looking back at the door. However, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that this girl….

That they had met before….


	38. A Cat and Mouse Game

**Hey guys.**

 **I've updated the previous chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

"Yo guys!" Natsu smiled and waved as he squeezed next to Harry and Neville, who were sitting across from Ron and Hermione. He looked around the Study Room, not many people were here. Only the four sitting with him and Cho and Padma on the other table, Gajeel snoring away on the table, book covering his eyes. Plus a few familiar faces Natsu saw around school, but never really bothered to talk to.

"Whatcha guys doing?" He asked, looking between the two. "We're studying for the Transfiguration Test for later today." Ron replied, not looking up from his book. "Wait, what? Test?" Natsu muttered, his body going stiff.

"You idiot! Weren't you listening the past few weeks?!" A fed up voice told him. Everyone up, and saw Lucy, one hand around a book, the other on her hip. "Jeez, you really need to pay more attention in class." She sighed, her head moving down with her sigh. Natsu searched his head for an excuse, but he couldn't find anything.

"Anyway, you still have three hours before the test. You better get cramming as much as possible." Lucy sighed, as she walked off. "AH! I'd better go study!" Natsu screamed and dashed out of the Study Room towards the library. "He is so clueless…." Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes and went back to her book.

Harry stared at Lucy for a bit, then remembered something. Something important about her. He leaned forward, trying to see if his guess was right. He stood up, forward, back, but he couldn't see, as Cho was blocking his vision. Ron looked up from his work book, and scanned him up and down. "What are you doing?" He asked, a bit skeptical.

"Ron, is Lucy wearing gloves?" Harry asked. Ron raised an eyebrow and leaned back to look at Lucy's hands. He sighed, then looked at Harry. "I don't know, I can't see. Why?" He asked, Hermione looking up as well. "Well, didn't you guys notice? Lucy always wears gloves!" Harry whispered over to them. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then at Lucy, who was smiling, and talking to Cho and Padma.

"Now that I think about it…." Ron muttered. "You don't think…. That the mysterious woman…." Hermione whispered, her eyes widened. "Is Lucy?!" She whispered aggressively, looking at Lucy once more. "No way! The woman we saw was way taller and looked WAY more mature than Lucy. So it can't be her." Ron whispered, looking at Lucy.

"But didn't Myrtle say something about her being "changed"? Maybe Lucy altered her body somehow…" Harry thought out loud, only for Hermione to shake her head. "I've never heard of such a spell. Even if it was real, I would suspect it to be a forbidden spell. And also, I doubt that there is a transfiguration spell for it as well…" Hermione sighed.

Suddenly, Natsu rushed in, carrying five books on Transfiguration and ran to the end of Lucy's table."Hey guys! I need he-!" Natsu suddenly felt his toe stump into something, and felt himself fall forward. "Ah…" He gasped. As he did, his body began to roll down the long table, spilling books, drinks and ink everywhere.

Gajeel fell back of his chair, hitting his head with a hard thud, Lucy and Cho screaming, moving their work out of the way in time. A book flew out the window, smashing the glass, slight screams coming from below. Another book flew on a candle, tipping it over making a curtain catch on fire.

"AHHHH! FIRE!" Lucy screamed, her hands in the air, eyes white and flooding with tears of panic. "Aguamenti!" The girls chanted, pointing their wands at the fire water flowing out at high pressure putting out the fire.

Natsu flew off the table, finishing upside down, his back hitting hard on the wall, resulting in a huge crack in the wall. "Ugh…." He slurred, sliding down the wall, his eyes swirling. "What the hell you moran?! How can you destroy a room in five seconds?!" Gajeel snapped, holding him by the collar, shaking him back and forth.

The room's floor covered in spilt ink, wet and torn paper, and damaged books. Wax covered the smoldering curtain, students on the ground murmuring about the broken glass and window, not to mention the new crack in the wall. "Natsu! Are you ok?!" The Gryffindor boys rushed over to their friend, who was groaning and rubbing his head.

"Oh no! My uniform!" Lucy cried, her uniform and gloves soaking wet with black ink. "Lucy! Are you alright?" Cho cried, snapping a handkerchief out of her uniform, dabbing Lucy's uniform before it had a chance to stain. "Here, let's get you cleaned up…" Padma said sweetly, helping Lucy to the bathroom. "Oh no please! Don't trouble yourself! I can do it!" Lucy denied politely and made her way to the bathroom.

Hermione stayed silent, watching Lucy walk away. She then turned her head to Natsu, who was still out of it. Gajeel was slapping him across the face to wake him up, while the other boys tried splashing water on his face or speak him out of his shock.

Hermione looked left and right, until she silently groaned and followed Lucy. Even though she thought to find out about this until after they get the information out of Draco, it was still odd that she was the only one wearing gloves. And with her washing up, this was a golden opportunity for her to see what was under her gloves. Not to mention she had a feeling that Lucy was hiding something. Maybe today was the day she found out.

 _BANG!_

"Oi, did you guys here something?" Ron asked, looking behind him. "Like what?" Neville asked, wondering what Ron was talking about.

 _Stomp stomp stomp stomp…._

Heavy footsteps could be heard down the hall, getting heavier and closer.

 _Stomp stomp STOMP STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!_

 _CRASH!_

Everyone gulped and gasped at the doors' sudden opening. There stood a twisted shadow in the form of a woman. Eyes glowing gold, hair waving like a wild flame. Clearly, she was mad. VERY mad. "NATSU DRAGNEEEEEEL!" She roared.

"P-Professor Scarlet?!" Everybody screamed in fear, sprinting back from Natsu. Erza growled and grabbed Natsu by the shirt, and began to shake him back and forth, even harder than Gajeel. "How DARE you do this! An innocent life was lost because of you!" Everyone's eyes opened wide, and ran towards the window. But there was no body. Only glass mixed with a smashed plate and some kind of yellow food and something white and red.

"Because of you…." Erza stopped shaking him and gave a sniff and clenched her fist. Everyone turned around, staring at Erza. "A delicious strawberry cake never got the chance…! I will not stand for this!" She snapped furiously and shook him even harder. Ron and Harry looked at each other in confused amazement. She wasn't mad about the mess. About the damaged books, the broken window or the half burnt curtain. But of a Strawberry Cake.

"UhUhUhUhUhUh!" Natsu slurred. By the time Erza stopped shaking him, Natsu sweared that everyone was blurry and spinny. "Ten hours of detention with me! Starting now!" Erza dragged Natsu out by the collar and dragged the almost unconscious Natsu out the door. Everyone stared at the door, then at each other. "Well, at least he dodged the test somehow…" Ron muttered, turning to Harry.

Hermione softly followed Lucy, making sure that she didn't see her following. Lucy finally entered the bathroom, Hermione leaning near the door. She waited for a few seconds, until she heard running water. Alright. It's now or never.

Hermione slipped into the bathroom, heading closer and closer to the running water. She leaned behind a column and stuck her head out. She could see the Lucy from the diagonal left, her left hand glove still on. But she couldn't see anything on her right.

"I must say, Mister Dragneel is getting more and more reckless by the day."

Hermione shook her head a bit. That was a voice she had never heard before. It sounded almost…. Robotic. She took a peak, and saw a pair of gloved hands help Lucy take off her uniform. So there was someone there…

Lucy sighed. "I wish he would think about things before he did them…" She complained. "That is highly unlikely princess." The voice said. " _Wait…. PRINCESS?!"_ Hermione silently gasped, her eyes opened in amazement. "Here is your new uniform Princess. Is it time for punishment?"

"NO!" Lucy yelled, a bit flustered about the question. " _Wait, so is she a house elf? No, can't be. Those hands are one of a human."_ Hermione pondered. Hermione could hear the ruffling of Lucy's uniform. "And here are your new gloves Princess. I've even added the modifications you asked for." The lady said, handing Lucy a pair of gloves. "Thank you, you're a lifesaver Virgo!" Lucy smiled.

" _Virgo?"_ Hermione thought. She needed to get a peak, but she couldn't move a muscle, as it would give away her cover. "I am only doing my job Princess. Punishment?" The lady asked. "No!" Lucy denied again. Lucy reached for her left hand first and slid the glove off. Hermione held her breath, keeping an eye out on the back of her hand.

It was as if everything went slow for a minute…. Hermione stared intently, Lucy pulling the glove off with the middle finger of the glove. She could hear her heartbeat as she watched Lucy's glove slowly slide off her back hand.

And….

Nothing. There was nothing on the back of Lucy's left hand. Then Hermione remembered… The symbol on the lady's hand was on the right! Lucy slid off her right glove, but Hermione couldn't see it. She silently tisked in annoyance as she slid her gloves on.

"If the Princess has nothing else, I will be on my way."

"Thank you Virgo. Keep me updated with the others." Lucy smiled. "Yes of course Princess." Lucy smiled and headed Hermione's way. Hermione gasped and tightly squished her back against the gap in the column and the wall and held her breath. Lucy finally walked past without her knowledge of Hermione being there. Lucy turned left, exiting the bathroom. Once she did, Hermione sprang out of her hiding spot and into the main bathroom.

But no one was there….

Hermione painted, and ran to the closest stall. She opened the door, but there was no one. She checked all of them, but nothing. "What the…? Where did she go?!" Hermione whispered. She looked behind her and ran out of the bathroom and looked left and right, but there was no one around. She ran back into the bathroom and checked all the stalls one more time, every hiding place she could think of.

"There's no way she could be gone!" Hermione yelled in confusement. She ran out again and turned right, running down the hallway. "I have to find Ron and Harry!" She gritted, heading towards the Study hall she was at. She ran through the doors, but Harry and Ron were gone. Only Neville was there. "Neville! Where did Harry and Ron go?" Hermione asked, panting at the door. "They went to the Common Room to relax before the test." He told them before going back to his work.

Hermione hastily thanked him and ran towards the Common Room. She burst inside the room, Ron and Harry sharply turning their heads towards her. They were in a lying position, clearly lazing off before the test. As Neville said. "Hermione? Where'd you go?" Ron asked. "You'll never believe what I just uncovered!" She panted, stomping in front of the fireplace, placing herself firmly between the boys and the fire. "Lucy is a princess!"

"A WHAT?!" The boys exclaimed, placing their legs down. "I followed Lucy to the bathroom to see if her hand had the mark, and there was someone with her! I don't who it was, I didn't see their face! But only heard her voice... And I've never heard her voice…. So I don't know who that was! But I heard Lucy call her Virgo."

"Virgo?" Harry repeated and looked at Ron. "I don't think there is someone named Virgo here." He said to Hermione.

"Wait wait wait…. Lucy Heartfilia is a PRINCESS?!" Ron repeated again. "...Well I guess that explains the arranged marriage." Ron muttered. "Wait, I thought it was because Lucy and Natsu were getting married because their fathers were businessmen..." Harry muttered to Ron. "So does that mean Lucy was lying…?" Ron asked.

"Anyway the weird thing was after Lucy left, the this…. Virgo… vanished into thin air! I checked all the lavatories and there was no one there." Hermione explained. "And it seems that this Virgo knows Natsu…. She addressed him as Mister Dragneel." Hermione explained. "How does someone disappear in thin air like that?" Harry asked, his hands a bit flustered. "I don't know…" Hermione whispered, slightly shrugging. "But then again, Dobby could disappear into thin air, so why can't this Virgo?" Harry hummed. "I guess that's true…" Ron hummed.

 _CLICK!_

Everyone looked at the entrance to the door, Natsu stumbling in. "Ugh…. I'm saved…." He sighed, rubbing his head. "How'd you escape Scarlet?" Ron asked, his eyes a bit concerned. "Hm? Oh Professor Strauss came up and bribed Professor Scarlet with a strawberry cake and said that if I passed the test, I won't have detention. Though she reduced twenty five points from me for accidentally damaging the study room…." Natsu sighed, slouching over.

The three students looked at the pink haired boy for a few seconds. Natsu stood there, looking at them, then darting his eyes left and right before looking behind. "Uh is something wrong…?" Natsu asked, feeling a bit uneasy about the stares he was receiving. "Natsu…. Do you know someone by the name of Virgo?" Hermione asked, turning her body towards Natsu.

"Hm? Virgo?" Natsu repeated, blinking a bit. Hermione nodded, shifting her body towards Natsu. "Yeah. She's Lucy's maid." Natsu replied bluntly. "Lucy's maid? So she really is a princess!" Ron exclaimed. "Yeah, she's a princess alright. She has a fancy house, servants, everything! Though she could lose a couple of pounds…" Natsu smiled mischievously.

"And does Virgo have any special… powers…?" Hermione asked, cautiously. Natsu blinked a bit, before giving Hermione a stern eye. "First, how do you know about Virgo, and why are you asking questions about her?" He asked, turning tables on her. Hermione's eyes widened and looked at Harry and Ron. "Uh… Well after Lucy got inked, I went into the bathroom to help her and there was someone named Virgo with her…" Hermione explained.

"I see…. " Natsu said darkly. Hermione held her breath as she looked into his eyes. Harry and Ron slightly shifted away from Natsu, they too afraid of his eyes. They were stern and black. It was almost as if they stumbled across something… Something they shouldn't have.

"Welp anyway!" Natsu snapped out of his glare and gave a smile. "I'd better get going to study! Erza will kill me if I don't pass and Mira won't save me this time!" Natsu screamed, running up the stairs.

Ron's face suddenly twisted from frightened to suspicion. As soon as Natsu left, Ron leaned forward and whispered to his friends. "Hey, why does Natsu refer to the teachers by their first names?" He asked. "Yeah, come to think of it, he addressed Professor Scarlet as Erza didn't he…" Harry realised.

Hermione looked at the clock, and immediately picked up her bag. "Natsu told me once that he was homeschooled by his father. So he may not be used to calling his teachers by last name." Hermione explained. Ron and Natsu gave a look of understandment. "Yeah… Maybe that's it…" Ron sighed, a bit relieved as he stood up.

"But those eyes…" Harry mumbled. "It was as if he was saying don't get involved in this…" He whispered. "Then that confirms it. There's definitely more to this than meets the eye." Hermione confirmed as the three of them left the Common Room. "Then what should we do?" Ron asked. "We'll stick to the original plan. One thing at a time. First we get information out of Draco, then we'll deal with this." Hermione explained, making their way to the Library.

"Right. So Draco and the Chamber first, then everything else?" Ron repeated Hermione nodding.

'WHAT?! Hermione saw Virgo?!" Makarov yelled, Natsu nodding. "She followed Lucy into the bathroom and saw Lucy and Virgo." He explained, looking at Lucy, who had her hands on her mouth. "No way… I didn't know she was watching…! When I went into the bathroom she was just there!" Lucy gasped. "Not only that, they're getting suspicious of us." Gajeel chipped in. "I over heard them talking outside." He explained. "I see. Then we'll have to step back until this all blows over…" Mavis ordered.

"Well, all of this wouldn't happen if flame brain didn't make a trip down pain lane." Gajeel growled, eyeing Natsu. "Hey! It's not my fault the floor is uneven!" Natsu yelled in self defense. "Now now Gajeel, be nice to Natsu." Levy scolded Gajeel. "Levy is right Gajeel. You shouldn't blame Natsu on uncertain events." Lily agreed. Gajeel tisked and folded his arms.

"Well, for now, we'll step back. Lucy, give your spirits a run down. And we'll be separate for now." Everyone nodded and stood up to leave. "Oh and one last thing." Everyone stopped and hummed as Mavis made them wait. "There is a Dueling class tomorrow. I want you to observe the magic they use, as it may hold the key to who is pulling the strings." Everyone nodded.

"Alright. That will be all for today. Make sure you complete your rounds. Especially in the Fifth Floor Corridor. Turns out that room is the key to the Chamber of Secrets. And don't be seen. Good night everyone. And good luck."


	39. A Duel of Rivalries

Everyone crowded around the small dueling stage. Leaning their elbows on it, standing on their tippy toes to see what was in front of them, sighing and turning to their friends, muttering on random things, like school and life.

"Alright alright. Gather round!"

Everybody shushed and closed tighter on around the narrow arena, as Professor Lockhart strolled up the dueling ground. "Can everybody see me?" He asked. "Can everybody… hear me?" He asked with a smolder. Lucy and Natsu looked at each other, still a bit creeped out by this teacher. "Excellent." Lockhart whispered, giving a small wink at Erza. She suddenly got shivers, like when meeting a… perverted acquaintance of hers back in Earthland.

"Are you alright Erza?" Wendy asked, looking up at her senior. "Yeah, you look a bit pale…" Levy muttered, biting her lip. "Oh I'm sure she's fine. She's Erza after all." Mira smiled, while Erza was stuttering a bit uncontrollably.

"Now! In light, of the dark events for the past few weeks, Professor Dumbledore has given permission for me to start this little dueling club. To train you all up, in case you all need… To defend yourselves."

" _Well at least he did something good…"_ Gajeel and Levy thought, sweat dropping a bit.

"As I did, many a time. For more information, read my published works." He said with flair, ripping his side cape off and throwing to the side. A girl caught it as she gasped, stroking it a bit. Most of the girls were becoming smitten, while the other students were still trying to figure out how he was this disgustingly popular. "Let me introduce my assistant." Lockhart said heroically, putting his dueling glove on and placed his hands on his hips. "Professor Snape."

As Lockhart gestured to the end of the dueling area, everyone turned their heads and leaned over as Snape rose from the crowd and onto the dueling arena. Almost as if he floated up. "Man, it's almost like he's a slimy snake of some sort." Natsu muttered to Lucy and Gajeel, everyone's heads following as he marched. "Well, it's a good thing he's with us then." Lucy whispered back.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with this demonstration, now children do not worry! You will still have your potions instructor afterwards." Lockhart chuckled, looking at Snape. Who was not amused. Lockhart gave an awkward cough and took out his wand, holding it firmly in his right hand, marching towards Snape.

The two stopped in front of each other, staring each other in the eye. They both brought their wands up to their faces, and swished it down, their arms forty five degrees away from their sides. Suddenly, they tucked their arms in tight and gave a slight bow. They swiftly turned their backs on each other, and walked away.

Natsu turned his head back and forth between the two teachers, Lucy resting her elbows in her hands, Gajeel's hands on his hips and growling a slight hum as he watched. "Well this oughta be interesting?" Natsu smirked, leaning his elbows on the raised platform. Lucy and Gajeel nodded in agreement. They were so invested in fact, that they didn't even notice the Hermione. Staring at Lucy intensely. Before giving a huff and looking away.

The two teachers reached the end of the platform, and swiveled around, taking a stance.

"One."

Everyone looked at Lockhart.

"Two."

Everyone looked at Snape.

"Three!"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape chanted, before a pure white force flowed from his wand, pushing Lockhart down for the count. "Wooooooaaaaaaah!" He screamed as he flew back, skidding his back. "Woah!" Natsu exclaimed, stepping back a bit. Lucy's jar dropped, Gajeel cracking up with laughter like the rest of the students. "You think he's alright?" Hermione asked, leaning over. "Who cares?" Ron scoffed.

Lockhart popped himself back up and looked at his laughing students. "Right…" He pantend, dusting himself off. He even caught Erza and Mira giggling a bit, Levy and Wendy putting their hand over their mouths with shock. He bit his lip and nodded and turned back to face Snape.

"Excellent idea to show them that Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was **pretty** obvious what you were going to do. And if I had to stop you, it would only be too easy." Lockhart scoffed as he walked towards Snape. Clearly making excuses to make him look superior than what he actually was. "Perhaps it would have been _prudent_ , to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells. Professor." Snape gritted, Lockhart suddenly averting his eyes. Natsu raised his eyebrow, looking in between the two teachers. There was silence between the two, before Lockhart forced a smile.

"An EXCELLENT idea Professor Snape! Let's have a volunteer duo." Lockhart exclaimed, as he turned around and examined the Second Years. "Let's see, let's see, let's see… Ah! Mister Dragneel and Mister Redfox. How about you two?" Lockhart suggested, swinging his arm towards Natsu and Gajeel. "Huh? What?" Natsu asked, pointing at himself, looking at Gajeel. "Yes you! Come on up!" Lockhart invited.

The two faced each other, copying the movements of the teachers before them. They reached the points where their teachers stopped and made a stances with wands in hands. "Now be careful! We don't want any accidents. Three! Two! One!"

"Expelliarmus!" Gajeel chanted, swinging his wand at Natsu. Natsu blocked it by crossing his arms, the spell pushing his feet back. Natsu tsked and swung his wand at his opponent. "Densaugeo!" He yelled, pointing his wand at Gajeel. Gajeel suddenly felt pain in his gums, his teeth feeling like they were growing.

Gajeel looked around the room, everyone's jaws dropped. Levy's eyes and face went black, like the rest of her Fairy Tail peers. "Wha'? Wha' ish i'? Oi! Wha'sh wro' with my spee'?!" Gajeel demanded, pointing at himself. "Pffft….Pfffff! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAHHHH HAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu burst out laughing, double bending on the floor, banging his fist. "Wha' di' yo' do?!" Gajeel demanded. Natsu pointed at Gajeel's face, tears flowing from his eyes. "What the hell is up with your face?! It's hilarious!" Natsu laughed. "Wha'?!" Gajeel demanded.

Lucy slowly held up a mirror, showing what Natsu did. And when Gajeel noticed, he was furious. Natsu made his teeth like horse teeth! Gajeel was growing more and more angry. Everyone in the room could sense it.

"Oh that is it!" Gajeel yelled, jumping on Natsu turning the friendly magical duel into a physical fight. "Oi! What is your deal?!" Natsu gritted, rolling around in a dust cloud with Gajeel. "Hey! Don't fight here!" Lucy yelled at them, slamming her hands on the platform. "That's it!" Gajeel gritted. The two of them stood up, wiping their bruises on their face. Gajeel flicked his wand, his face red with anger.

"Locomotor Mortis!"

"Gah!" Natsu's legs locked together, falling flat on his face, Gajeel laughing at his misfortune.

"Levicorpus!"

"Woah!" Gajeel felt his feet slip underneath him, and the next thing he knew, he was hanging upside down, Natsu laughing at him.

"Rictusempra!"

"Tarantallegra!"

"Langlock!"

Everyone looked on, gobsmacked of what had just happened. Lights from the wands were glowing and zooming left and right, the two boys making each other do stupid stuff for each other's amusement. "Uh, shouldn't we do something about this?" Wendy asked Erza, who was shaking in anger. "Erza…?" Levy asked. "Uh, we might wanna step back…." Mira advised.

"Furnunculus!"

"Ah! What the hell?!" Natsu demanded, feeling painful bumps on his face. Lucy groaned and facepalmed, slowly sinking deeper into the crowd.

"Oh now you've done it! Aguament-"

" **PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"**

Suddenly Gajeel and Natsu stood up straight, their bodies grey and frozen. They both leaned back, their backs slamming the floor. Erza marched up the stairs and dragged off the two by the collars. "YOU TWO ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO HOGWARTS! WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU I'M GONNA-!"

Everyone watched as Erza drag off a paralyzed Gajeel and Natsu, her yelling echoing down the hallway. "...What just happened?" Harry asked. Everyone stayed silent, just trying to digest what had happened. " _Why do they always do this?"_ Lucy thought with a groan, burying her face in shame.

A few seconds passed until Natsu and Gajeel entered the room again, covered in bandages and band aids, grumbling at each other. "Guess the Ferula spell did you good." Lucy sighed, before whacking them across the head.

"Uh…. alright then….Potter and Weasley, how 'bout you next?" Lockhart suggested. The boys nodded and proceeded to make their way up. "Mister Weasley's wand causes damage with the most simple of spells. He will be sending Mister Potter to the infirmary in a match box." Snape said with a grit and slither in tone. Ron stood where he was and looked down, a bit red. "Might I suggest someone from my house?" Lockhart looked at Snape, who gave a stiff shrug. "Malfoy, perhaps?" Snape suggested.

He sharply turned around and gave a forced point at Malfoy and thumb at Potter and Lockhart. Telling him to come on up. Lockhart turned around and looked at Harry. Malfoy lifted himself up and walked towards Harry with a sly smirk on his face. Lockhart made his way behind Harry, wishing him luck.

The two stopped in the center of the arena. Everyone watched intently, as these two had a… rocky, relationship. The two stared at each other with hate, and uneasiness. "Wands at the ready!" Lockhart called out. They flicked their wands up to their face, Malfoy smirking. "Scared Potter?" He asked. "You wish." Harry replied, the Gryffindors smiling and nodding at Harry's response.

They flicked their wands down, but had no respect for each other to even bow at each other. They turned around and made their way to the spot where the other duelists stood and turned around to face each other, taking a stance. "On the count of three, use your charms ONLY to disable your opponent. We don't want any accidents here, or another episode of what happened now do we?" Lockhart muttered, looking at the injured, embarrassed students.

"One…" The boys looked at each other, not even daring to blink. "Two…"

"Everte Statum!" Draco flicked his wand at Harry, causing him to fly back, back flipping a few times before landing on his side. "Harry!" Natsu and Ron yelled together. The Slytherin kids laughed as Harry, Snape having a slight smirk on his face. As Harry got up, he twisted his face in annoyance and anger, Draco's smile disappearing.

"Rictusempra!"

The light from Harry's wand hit Draco so hard that he flung into the air and spun like a mad spinning wheel, and landed butt first in front of Snape. Everyone laughed as Draco looked up, ashamed in front of his house teacher. Snape gritted as he grabbed Draco by the collar and pulled him up, pushing him back into position.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart yelled, stepping forward a bit. "Serpensortia!" Draco chanted, a snake appearing at the end of his wand, landing in the center of the platform. "Get back!" Natsu said out of shock and habit, holding his arm in front of Lucy. The snake slid towards Harry, hissing and snapping at the students on the edge of the platform.

Draco panted as he watched. "Is that…" Levy gasped. "A snake?" Wendy muttered, hands to her mouth. "Don't worry Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." Snape sighed, stepping in front of Draco and towards the snake. "Allow me Professor Snape." Snape stopped as Lockhart stepped forward. "Volarte Acendali!" Lockhart chanted, a zap emitting from his wand. The snake flew up, everyone watching the snake fly up, and then back down with a thud.

The snake coiled up, hissing at the students fangs exposed. Susan and Ernie gasped, stepping back. Harry suddenly stepped forward, almost as if zoned out.

" _Aaaaasssssahhhhhhh….."_ Harry whispered. The snake looked at Harry, then turned his attention to Zach, Ernie, and Susan, who all stiffly stepped back, not even daring to breathe.

" _Asssshhhhiiiii assssooooo sssssiiiaaaahhhh shhhhhiiiiiiaaaaalllll..."_

Snape stood there, not believing his eyes or his ears.

" _Saaayyyya siiiiettthhh…"_

Harry edged closer to the snake, who still had its eyes on the three Huffles. It swayed from side to side, before exposing its fangs to them. Harry softly gasped and slithered more words.

" _Saaahhh sitttthhh…."_

The snake turned its attention to Harry, who stared at it intensely, the snake closing its mouth, looking at Harry. Suddenly, a zap came from Snape's wand, the snake disappearing in ash.

Everyone sighed with relief, before turning mean eyes to Harry. He looked around, wondering why the looks from everyone. "Why is everyone looking at him weird?" Gajeel asked Lucy and Natsu. "No way…. Pastel Tongue?!" Levy gasped. "What's that?" Mira asked, looking at Levy. "The language of snakes. But… only…. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned and Salazar Slytherin used Pastel Tongue!" She whispered. "What did you say?!" Erza exclaimed.

"What are you playing at?!" Ernie demanded, Harry still confused what was happening. Everyone gave him looks of disapproval and confusement. Snape and Lockhart especially.

"What the hell is going on…?" Natsu gritted.


	40. Friends Beyond Generations

**Hey guys.**

 **Just a few things. First, I'm going to try this technique I like to call "Manga Imagery". The bold writing will depict what is happening while Makarov is reading the letter. Not sure how it's going to go, but I'll give it a shot. If no one likes it, I won't do it again.**

 **Also, today's chapter is a bit short, but I think it's the best one I've written so far. Also, I recommened putting on Fairy Tail Sad Theme Piano Ver. while reading the letter. Don't have to, but I think it gives more feeling.**

 **Anywho, enjoy!**

"What the hell happened down there?!" Erza muttered aggressively, as she marched through the painting into the secret room. "How the hell would Harry know such an old and secret language? It just doesn't add up…" Levy pondered, raising a finger to her mouth.

"But what was he saying? That's my question." Gajeel gruffed, flopping on his chair, his heals thumping the table. "Levy? Do you know?" Wendy asked, tilting her head. Levy shook her head, humming a no. "Parcel tongue, or mouth, is an Ancient Language. There isn't any translation to it. Or at least none that I know of…" She explained, a hand in the air.

"Wait, you guys didn't understand that?"

Everyone sharply turned their heads to the voice, their ears shocked of what they just heard. "Natsu…? You could….?" Lucy gasped. Natsu simply blinked and looked around the room. "What?" He asked. "You could understand that?!" Everyone exclaimed. Natsu's eyes blinked into shock and took a step back. "Y-Yeah. I'm more surprised that you guys didn't!"

"Natsu!" Erza grabbed him violently by the arms, her tight gripping. "You can understand a language that only Salazar and Voldemort can do! With Harry no less!" She yelled. "Natsu, what did Harry say to the snake?" Wendy asked. "H-he said "Step away from him or I will send you to your demise!"" Natsu translated. Erza let go of Natsu with a tisk, her scarlett hair whipping in his face. "Wait, if Salamander can understand that weird language, then….."

Everyone looked at Natsu, him only humming in confusion. "Natsu…. Say something in Parseltongue…" Lucy asked. "What? I don't even know the language, so how would I-"

"Natsu. Do it." Erza gritted. "Uh, alright….?" Natsu took a breath and put a thinking look on his face. "Uh…. Lucy needs a diet."

The next thing Natsu knew, he was on the floor, his soul floating out through his mouth. "Uh, maybe something that isn't personal to any of us…" Levy sweatdropped, an angered Lucy walking away from the body. "Ugh, I'm sorry guys! I honestly don't know!" Natsu groaned, sitting up. "All I know is the words! I don't know how to speak it!"

Everyone groaned, leaning their heads back. "Well, at least we have a translator now." Erza sighed. "It's better than nothing." Everyone nodded. "Natsu, keep this on a tight lid, alright?" Erza ordered, putting her finger on her lips. "Yeah yeah..." Natsu sighed, lying back down.

"Anyway, we'd better going. We have class now." Lucy sighed, picking up her bag. "What do we have again?" Gajeel asked. "Uh, Summonings." The students froze, as if turned to stone. They stiffly turned to Erza, her eyes glowing with happiness. "Excellent. Now is the time to try my new warm up technique…" She chuckled.

"Uh….And what is that Erza…?" Lucy asked, afraid of the answer. Erza cracked a whip and began to recite her list, flames erupting beneath her.

"A HUNDRED SIT UPS! TWO HUNDRED PUSH UPS! THREE HUNDRED CRUNCHES! FOUR HUNDRED BURPEES! FIVE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND THE CASTLE!"

As Erza rambled, the colour from the students drained from their faces. Their eyes were hollow, and jaws dropped. The teachers had an 'uh-oh' face, their eyes small and white, mouths twitching.

"ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED CLIMBS UP THE ASTRONOMY TOWER! ALL IN TEN MINUTES OR A PENALTY OF ALL POINTS LOST, FOR MOTIVATION!" Erza suddenly grabbed the three of them by the collar, dragging them out, pumping her fist in the air as she walked away. "LET'S DO THIS!" She screamed in glory, as the three students groaned and silently cried in protest.

Everyone blinked, Mavis giggling innocently behind them. "She certainly has spirit." She smiled. "First Master!" Wendy cried in shock. Mavis smiled, and looked at the three girls. "Is everything alright?" She asked them. "Yeah, everything's fine. But we have a lead on something." Levy admitted. "The Parseltongue?" Mavis asked. Everyone blinked, confused. "I heard when you came in. I must say it's interesting. I'll read it through!" Mavis smiled. "Thank you Master Mavis!" Wendy smiled. "Oh, and how's Makarov doing?" She asked.

"Oh, he's…. Uh…." Mira froze, then starred in realisation. "Come to think of it…" Levy whispered, thinking. "We didn't talk to Master Makarov at all since the semester began!" Wendy cried in horror, as lightning struck behind her, bells ringing. "Poor Master Makarov!" Wendy cried. Mavis giggled. "It's alright. I'm sure he's fine." She reassured.

Meanwhile, in the basements, Makarov grumbled as he swept the dusty floors. "What am I second meat? No one's even talked to me since the beginning of the year, and not only that, those brats have been creating endless work for me!" He gritted angrily.

"Ah, Master Makarov."

Makarov turned around and saw his old friend's son. "Professor Dumbledore." He greeted, as he turned around.

The two sat together on the courtyard balcony, the sky only dragging a few clouds across its blue scape. Makarov had his legs crossed and arms folded, Dumbledore sitting with his feet on the ground. The two sat silently for a while before Dumbledore reached inside his sleeve and pulled out a box of jelly beans. He opened the flap and gestured one towards Makarov.

"Wish to try one Master Makarov?" He asked in his old wise voice. Makarov smiled and pulled out a light green bean. He popped it into his mouth, a sweet apple flavour spreading on his tongue. "Delicious." He beamed.

Dumbledore smiled and tilted the box into his palm. He jiggled the box a bit until a murky yellow jelly bean fell out. He cupped it into his mouth and chomped down, stoic about what flavour he chose.

Makarov sat there for a bit, chewing on the sweet. He gave a sigh, until he broke the ice, and asked the question he was afraid to ask. "So…. how is your old man? Is he well? Does he know we're here?"

Dumbledore looked on, chewing slowly on his jelly bean. "...Percival passed away many years ago. He died alone in Azkaban." Makarov's eyes widened a bit, until his eyes went to somber, and looked down at the ground. But a part of him knew. That Percival died a long time ago. "Azkaban?" Makarov asked, still looking down. "A prison. For those that broke the most fundamental rules of the Wizard World." Makarov's eyes opened and looked at Dumbledore. "A prison?! What did he do?!" Makarov yelled, not breaking his position.

"...Years ago, my sister, Ariana was attacked by three muggles. Because of their assaults, she was scared for life. She was mentally scarred, her powers were out of control. In revenge, he attacked them back. Only for the Ministry of Magic to arrest him. They put him in Azkaban, and my siblings and I never saw him again. Years later, we received a letter that he had died."

Makarov listened with intense ears, not believing what he was saying. Percival was a kind man, who would never hurt a soul. But if someone ever hurt his children, up to the point of Ariana's condition, then he might have done the same thing Percival did.

"My father always told me stories of Earthland. How it was different from this world. He even said that my ability to use magic without a wand was because of my Earthland Heritage. He never stopped talking about you and Fairy Tail." Dumbledore smiled and looked at Makarov. "Was Percival happy here?" He asked. Dumbledore looked back into the courtyard, and looked down, smiling. "He was a positive man. He always cared for those around him. Muggles, Muggle-borns and Squibs. He never discriminated them and treated everyone like family." Makarov smiled a bit, hearing the old Percival. "He was like that. Even at the guild. He always treated everyone fairly and equally. I was sure he would be the next master one day. But after his disappearance, I didn't know what was going to happen." Makarov admitted.

Dumbledore stared at his father's friend, and put his hand in his other sleeve. He pulled out a flat rectangular item, and handed it to Makarov. "What's this?" Makarov asked, taking the item. Suddenly, his pupils dilated and eyes widened when he saw what it was.

It was a letter.

"My father spent many of his days locked away in his study. I saw light from beyond the door, the same light that I saw when I first contacted you. I believe he never stopped trying to find you."

Makarov stared at the letter, and flipped it over. A wax seal with the Fairy Tail emblem covered the flap, so pristine and delicate. Dumbledore stood up, picking up the box of jelly beans. "I will leave you to it." Dumbledore smiled, as he knew that Makarov would probably want some alone time. Makarov could hear the crunch of leaves, dirt, and grass fading away from his ear.

He stared at the seal, before moving his frail old hands to open the letter. He slid an old, tattered, yellow paper and unfolded the letter. His eyes became wide and shocked, as he read the letter.

 _My Dearest Friend Makarov._

 _How have you been? It has been many years hasn't it?_

 **A young, firm hand in a dimly lit room writes the letter, sitting at a brown wooden desk.**

 _Every day, there has never been a moment where I never forget your smiling faces. You, Rob, Bob, Porlyusica, Goldmine, and the adventures we had always shared. I often wonder if many things have changed in Fairy Tail. Have any new members joined since I left? If so, I hope that they won't follow our destructive nature._

 **The back of a man is slumped over the desk. He lifts his writing hand off the paper to pet a bird next to him.**

 _How is everyone? Are they well? I hope Porlyusica has opened up even more since I left. What about Bob? Still handsome as ever I take it. Goldmine still wild at heart? Robert still cooking delicious meals for everyone? Is Rob still pulling pranks at the guild? He was always a trickster._

 _Things in this world are different to the world of Earthland. So many that I cannot express it all in this one letter. I am a married man now. Three beautiful children. Ariana, Aberforth, and Albus. When I see their smiling faces, for some reason, I can only see you and the faces of Fairy Tail._

 **Three children play in the yard, a beautiful woman with a man smiling as they watch on.**

 _Makarov… I am sorry._

 _The reason why I did not come to you for help, is because I knew. I knew that when I ran into the forest, I knew I was never coming back. I tried so hard. I tried everything I could to get back. To see you all again. Even going through the struggle of creating The Song of the Stars Spell. But every attempt failed. If you ever came with me, then you would have been trapped here. Away from our home and family._

 **A young Albus watches the light flash behind the locked door of his father's study.**

 _And if you did, then Fairy Tail would not have a fine master. I always believed you'd be Fairy Tail's next master, even though you would shout, cry, whine. You were always so hot headed, so I was concerned when Master Precht told me he was planning you as the next Master. But I always believed you would lead the guild with a warm smile._

 **All the members of Fairy Tail flash in Makarov's mind, smiling and cheering.**

 _I write this letter, because it is the only thing I can do now. I hope that one day this letter will reach you. I don't know how, I don't know when, but when it does, will you forgive me? For leaving everyone behind? Everyone must be devastated that I was gone. They must hate me for what I did._

 **The hand is still writing, but it is very old and worn.**

 _I don't blame them._

 _Makarov, you were, and still are, my best friend._

 _I will always love you._

 _Will you forgive me for what I did?_

 _Percival Dumbledore._

Makarov's tears stained the paper. He looked in the envelope again. Inside, were two photos. A photo of Makarov's team when they were children, hugging each other on the shoulders, grins on their faces. Except Porlyusica. The other was when they were teenagers, all of them smiling in front of the guild, ready for their first mission as a team.

So much had changed since then. So much that Makarov couldn't hold it any longer.

Makarov's mouth crumbled, tears flowing from his eyes. He hugged the letter, wiping his eyes. He looked at the sky with a smile, watching the clouds drag by.

"Of course I will….. You big idiot…"


	41. Different Worlds, United Friends

Harry sat alone, Hogwarts in the shadow of the setting sun. Hedwig flapped over to her master, and as she landed, Harry gave her a stroke on the head. "Who am I Hedwig?" Harry asked her. "What am I…?" He whispered.

"You're Harry Potter, remember?"

Harry sharply turned around, seeing his pink haired friend push himself up the rocky path. Once he reached the top, he dusted his uniform off and gave him a big toothy smile. "What are you doing all the way up here?" He asked Harry, sitting down next to him. "Everyone's been on edge since I can talk to snakes. And only Salazar could do such a thing. So why can I? I-I mean I'm not related to him, but then-"

Natsu smiled and patted him on the back, cutting Harry off. "Don't think about it. It's just a skill you have. I think it's an awesome gift too." Harry looked at Natsu with a confused face. "Don't be disheartened. You're still you. Come on. We got study to do." Natsu smiled, as he stood up and stretched. He extended his hand to his friend, who gave a stiff smile and took it. Natsu gave him a strong pull up and gave him a pat on the back as they made their way down the path.

Everyone sat in the study room in silence, reading silently and making notes for their next quiz. But Harry couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He turned around, noticing four students on the other table bouring their eyes at him, before turning away. Harry did the same, Ron giving him a stiff smile, Hermione darting her eyes from Harry and the group diagonal from them.

Harry looked where she was looking, everyone staring at him, before going back to work. On his way back to his work, he saw Ginny, looking at him. Her face was hard to read. But like the others, she went back to work, a deep sigh escaping her mouth. Next to her was Lucy, who gave Harry a sweet smile, hoping to give him some encouragement to him. Harry gave a soft smile back, and looked down in his books.

"Don't pay attention to them Harry." Natsu whispered with encouragement. "Shh!" Someone hissed, Natsu swiftly turning his head giving the shusher a glare. Harry simply took a breath in and closed his book. "I'll see you in the Common Room." He simply said, Ron nodding in understanding, Hermione giving a puzzled look. " _Poor Harry…"_ Lucy sighed, watching him go.

"So anyway, I told Justin to hide up in our room." Justin whispered to his table. Harry suddenly stopped, hearing Justin. He slowly turned around, peeking his head around the door. Natsu, having sensitive hearing, jolted at his words as well.

"I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best to keep a low profile for a while." Ernie explained. Natsu's eyes went dark, shaded by his hair. "But why would he want to attack Justin?" A girl across him asked, confused. "Well, Justin let it slip to Potter that he was Muggle-born." He said.

"And you definitely think Potter's the Heir of Slytherin?" She asked. "Hannah… He's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark Wizard." Natsu stood up silently, his eyes still blocked by his hair. "Natsu?" Hermione asked, wondering why he stood up. "Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes?" Harry gritted his teeth, Natsu slowly walking to Ernie. "They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." He smirked. "Harry always seemed so nice though…" Hannah argued. "And it was him that made You-Know-Who disappear." She said. "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him." Ernie said.

"Do you think he's also responsible for what happened to Gray as well?" Hannah asked. "Wouldn't be surprised. He was Muggle-born. Potter's probably trying to strike everyone out early. I will never forgive him. What he did to Gray and Colin." Ernie said. Harry heard enough. He ran down the hall, not wanting to hear another word.

As Ernie looked down to continue writing, a firm fist slammed his head down on the table, a loud bang echoing the room. Everyone gasped and screamed, jolting back. Lucy and Hermione gasped, not believing what they saw. Ernie stood up, shaking from shock. A warm liquid ran from his nose. He wiped it and his eyes widened. It was blood.

He turned around, to yell at his assailant, only for him to be punched across the cheek. Everyone screamed as Ernie went flying across the room, his back cracking the wall. He slid down, wincing from his injuries.

"Ernie!" Hannah cried, rushing to his aid. "Natsu! What did you do?!" Lucy cried, standing up to get over to Natsu. Ernie looked up, the pink haired student staring at him. With no emotion. Natsu kneeled down and grabbed Ernie by the shirt, pulling him up to his face. Ernie gasped, seeing Natsu's face.

Veins were popping from his forehead, his pupils slit. Like a snakes. His teeth were like a canine's. Ernie could feel burning heat from under his collar. "You don't know Harry Ernie. So don't speak for him if you don't…." He growled. He let go of Ernie, letting him drop to the floor. Natsu walked away calmly, stopping at the door. "He saved your life. If he were the Heir, would he have done that?" Ernie gasped, remembering that moment. "...I thought so." Natsu muttered, and left without another word. Lucy, Ron, and Hermione standing up hastily to follow him. Once they were out, the whole room burst into exclaimes and screams, running over to the injured student.

"Natsu, what were you thinking?!" Lucy exclaimed, speed walking next to him. "I couldn't let anyone talk about Harry that way." He gritted, stomping up the stairs. "Still, that's no way to solve a problem!" Hermione scolded. "In fact, that would cause more problems than it would solutions." Ron sighed, shaking his head. "I don't care. Harry is not the Heir of Slytherin. Just because he knows a language doesn't mean he is the Heir!" Natsu yelled.

"But Natsu, he didn't know he could speak Parseltongue! Only the Heir of Slytherin could know the language!" Ron argued, struggling a bit to keep up with them. "That's what makes this odd." Natsu said. Everyone looked at Natsu, wondering what he meant. Natsu sighed and stopped, everyone stopping with him. "Languages, reading, writing. It all takes time to learn. Yet Harry could do it off the bat? Without knowing?" Natsu pondered.

"Yeah, Natsu has a point there. Why would Harry know a language that he didn't even know he could do…" Lucy pondered. Hermione and Ron looked at each other, never really thinking about it that way. Lucy looked at Natsu, who was pondering. She sighed and took him by the ear and dragged him away.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Natsu cried, squirming around. "That still doesn't excuse you for punching Ernie. We're going to talk about this. In private." She gritted, tugging his ear even tighter. "Ow ow ow ow! Lucy! Let me go!" He cried, dragged out of Hermione and Ron's sight.

"You sure she's a princess?" Ron asked, pointing the direction Lucy and Natsu went. Hermione didn't respond. She was just too gobsmacked.

"You didn't have to drag me by the ear Luce…" Natsu whined, rubbing his sore ear. "Consider it punishment for not thinking twice." Lucy stated, walking in front of him. "...I am sorry… It's just that a lot of things have happened in the past few months…" Lucy looked behind her, wondering what Natsu was talking about. He stopped walking, allowing Lucy to turn around fully.

"Gray's been missing for months. We don't know where he is, if he's stable, if he's not…. And now everyone's blaming Harry for everything. Even though it's not him…." Lucy looked at Natsu, his eyes looking on the ground and filled with worry. Lucy looked down, knowing the feeling. Natsu felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up, seeing Lucy's smile. "I'm sure he's alright. I know how you feel, but he's strong. I know he'll pull through and come back to us. And if not, we'll find him and we'll bring him back."

Natsu blinked a bit, before giving Lucy a smile. "Thanks Lucy." He smiled.

" _Blooood…"_

Natsu gasped and looked up, his eyes sharply pointing down the hall. "Natsu? What's wrong?" Lucy asked. Natsu didn't reply. He stepped forward, his legs not stopping. "Natsu? Where are you going?" Lucy asked, slowly following.

" _I want blooood…."_

Natsu's steps became faster.

" _They all must DIIIE…"_

Natsu began to run down the hallway, Lucy's call becoming fainter to his ears.

" _Kill…."_

" _Kill..."_

" _Kill….!"_

" _KIIIILL!"_

Natsu skidded around the corner, and looked up with a stiff breath in. He couldn't believe his eyes.

There was Sir Nick, his pale transparent body floating in suspension. His neck was open with steam erupting from the opening, his body spinning slowly. And beneath him…. Was Justin. Cold and pale, frozen in time. His eyes darted to the end of the hallway and there, standing there in just as much shock as he was… Was Harry.

Harry didn't notice Natsu at first. He was too busy looking at Sir Nick and Justin. He kneeled beside the Muggle-born and held his hand. It was then, he noticed Natsu, staring at them in surprise.

"Natsu! Wait!" Lucy cried, running up next to him. "Natsu, what is it? What did you-" As Lucy looked where Natsu was looking, her eyes lost her shine. She placed her hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from screaming. Lucy looked at Harry, his eyes saying that it wasn't him.

Lucy stepped back, and ran down the hall as fast as she could, stumbling a bit. She had to find everyone that another student had been taken down.

"Natsu…. Natsu, I swear it wasn't me…" Harry whispered. "I-I didn't…. I didn't do anything…" He stammered. Natsu didn't say anything. He was too shocked at what happened. "Natsu, I-"

"Caught in the act." A gruff voice snarked behind Harry. Harry sharply turned around, Filch staring at him. "I'll have you out this time Potter. Mark my words…." He sneered, before calmly walking away. "N-No Mister Filch! You don't understand! I-" Harry stuttered, then stopped, knowing there was no point.

Harry looked straight ahead, Natsu now right in front of him. Natsu kneeled down to Harry's level, but did not look at him. He was looking at Justin. Justin's eyes were wide and blank. It looked like he was dead, but at the same time it looked like he wasn't. Natsu said nothing, using his hand to close Justin's eyes.

"I know it wasn't you Harry." Natsu simply stated, looking at Harry. "I don't believe it for a second." He smiled. Harry stared at his friend for a moment, before nodding. Suddenly, Natsu could hear a faint crawling sound next to Justin. He looked down, and hummed in confusion. A crooked line of black dots were swiftly crawling to the window and out into the yard. "The spiders again?" Harry questioned, noticing the same thing.

Natsu stood up in a hurry, gasping at who was behind Harry. Harry soon turned around, his eyes wide open and following Natsu's actions. Behind him was the Caretaker and Professor McGonagall. "Oh!" She gasped, running over to the victims first. She then looked at the two Gryffindors, her face asking for answers. "Professor, it wasn't Harry. I was with him." Natsu defended, stepping forward.

"I'm sorry boys. This is out of my hands." McGonagall said, her voice strict, but worried. Footsteps got louder behind Natsu. Everyone turned that direction, Lucy gasping for air. Running behind her were all the Fairy Tail teachers. Wendy gasped, stepping back from the sight. "No…" Levy softly breathed, hands near her mouth. Mira and Erza stood there staring at the victims.

"Mister Potter, Mister Dragneel." The two Gryffindors looked at McGonagall, hands firmly clasped together, resting them on her thighs. "Please come with me." She said, flicking her dress a bit as she turned around. Natsu and Harry looked at each other, then proceeded to follow the prime Transfiguration teacher. Natsu was the only one who looked behind him. Everyone crowded around Justin, examining his body. Erza closed her eyes and shook her head. Natsu gritted his teeth and kept on walking

"Where is she taking us?" Harry whispered to Natsu, keeping an eye on Professor McGonagall as they followed her. "Beats me." Natsu shrugged. Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a golden Phoenix Statue. Natsu stopped with a shocked and sick face, trembling a bit. Harry looked at Natsu, wondering what the expression was about.

"Please step in. Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you." She gestured her hand to the statue, Harry slowly stepping forward into the gap. "Do we have to?" Natsu groaned, not moving from his position. " _That's right. Natsu has some kind of motion sickness._ " Harry thought, remembering the first night Natsu came to Hogwarts. "Oh but you do Mister Dragneel. Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you. About what happened in the Study Hall." She said, her eyes serious. Harry looked at Natsu, wondering what Professor McGonagall was talking about.

"Ah…" Natsu gasped, realising what she was talking about. Natsu's cheeks puffed and his arms folded as he stood stubbornly in the other gap of the statue. "Sherbet Lemon." She chanted, flashing her hands. A soft rumble came from underneath the boys. A jolt erupted under their feet, and slowly turned up the wall. Harry looked up in wonder and amazement, while Natsu gagged and slithered down to a gagging blob.

The two reached the top, Natsu taking a deep breath before standing up. "Right…. Let's go." Natsu sighed, his hand reaching for the door handle. But before he could turn it, Harry grabbed Natsu's wrist. "Natsu, you've been here before?" He asked. "Huh? Yeah. The first night I came here." Natsu simply stated. "This is Dumbledore's Office." He said, looking at the door. Harry looked at the door, then at Natsu. He breathed out and let go of Natsu's wrist. "We better get in there then." He sighed.

The door opened with a creek. The two boys entered the room. One filled with curiosity and wonder, the other one a bit nervous and sick. Natsu spotted a crystal bowl and headed over to it. The water glowed a soft white, the water so smooth it could be mistaken for a mirror.

While Natsu was admiring the water, Harry looked around Dumbledore's main area of office. "Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked. He looked up at a lit section of the shelf, and there was the Sorting Hat, looking down at him. "Bee in your bonnet Potter?" He asked with a smirk. Harry left his mouth hanging open, trying to find the words to say. "I-I was just wondering… If you put me in the right House…." Harry asked since he had the chance.

"Yes… you were particularly difficult to place…" The hat admitted. "But I stand by what I said last year. Just like him." The hat gestured to the boy behind him. Harry looked at Natsu, who was playing with a crystal bottle. Shaking it and examining it. "Natsu?" Harry asked, looking back at the hat. "Well, he definitely would not fit in Ravenclaw, but he was definitely hard to fit with the other three houses. He is loyal and brave, the qualities of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. But there's a… certain demeanor in his heart. Arguably, one worse than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned."

Harry looked at Natsu again, who opened the bottle and gave it a sniff. He then gagged and closed the bottle and put it back. "Natsu? Worse than Voldemort?" Harry asked. "Doesn't seem that way does it. But there's something about that boy. Something…. Demonic." The hat slithered. "Maybe you both would be a fitting addition to Slytherin."

"You're wrong. About both of us." Harry defended, walking away. "Careful with your actions Potter. One wrong move could trigger… well… The end…." The hat warned, emphesising the word "end."

Harry looked at the Hat one last time, before a beautiful red bird, slouched on its perch. "Woah! Nice bird!" Natsu smiled, running up to the bird and stoked the bird with the back of his hand.

The bird cooed and snuggled up to Natsu's hand, before stretching its neck and spreading its wings. As it did, its body erupted in flames, ash falling into the tray beneath it. The boys' mouths dropped, their eyes white with shock. "Natsu, did you just…?" Harry asked, pointing at where the bird once stood. Natsu's mouth gittered, sweat rolling down fast down his face. "I-I-I-I-I-I-I swear I didn't do it! Sure, I set a lot of stuff I touch on fire, but still this wasn't me!" Natsu jabbered, his hands shaking and moving all over the place.

"Boys?" A gentle and calm voice came from above. "Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed. "Professor! I swear it wasn't me! I didn't set your bird on fire!" Natsu stuttered, waving his hands in front of his body. "Oh it is about that time. He's been looking dreadful for days. I am sorry you had to see him on a burning day…" Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head. "Huh?" The boys asked, confused.

"Fawkes, is a phoenix you see. When it is time for them to die, they burst into flames. And then they are… reborn. From the ashes." Dumbledore explained, walking down the stairs and next to the ashes. He ash moved a bit, until a tiny bare bird rose from the ashes, giving a tiny caw.

"Ah…" Dumbledore cooed, bending down to greet the newly born bird. "Fascinating creatures Phoenixes. My father loved them as well." Harry and Natsu smiled, bending down to examine the baby. "Can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers." Dumbledore explained, rambling a bit about his bird.

BOOM!

"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Everyone looked at the door, Hagrid bursting through the door. "Wait! Listen!" Hagrid hobbled over to the boys and gestured to Harry. "Professor Dumbledore sir, it wasn't Harry!"

"Hagrid."

"I'd be prepared to swear it in front of the Ministry of Magic."

"Hagrid."

Hagrid stopped rambling, quiet for the Headmaster to finish his words. "Relax…" Dumbledore said, calm and smooth. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I do not believe…. That Harry attacked anyone." Dumbledore said with pride. "Of course you don't. But-"

Hagrid stopped mid sentence and looked at Dumbledore. "Oh…" Hagrid looked at his feet, a bit embarrassed. "Right. Well, I'll uh…. Ahem. Wait outside." Hagrid coughed, and slowly backed towards the door. "Yes." Dumbledore agreed. When Hagrid left, Harry looked at Dumbledore. "You don't think it was me Professor?" He asked. "No Harry. I do not think it was you." Dumbledore said with a warm smile. Harry nodded, feeling some relief.

"But I must ask you… Is there something you wish to tell me?" The headmaster asked. Harry looked down, thinking a bit, before saying nothing was wrong. Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Very well then. You may go." Harry nodded, heading towards the door, Natsu following behind.

"Except…" Both boys turned around, Dumbledore sitting at his desk. "You Mister Dragneel." Dumbledore said, his hand beckoning for him to come forward. "Uh…" Natsu gulped, slowly stepping forward. Harry gave the door a close, a soft boom echoing through the room.

"I must say, I am speechless about what happened earlier in the Study Hall with Ernie, Mister Dragneel." Dumbledore began. Natsu froze and looked down. "News travels one way or another Mister Dragneel. You may have been trying to help Mister Potter, but beating a student senseless... Is not the way to go." Dumbledore explained. Natsu simply hung his head low, feeling guilty about what happened.

"That is why I am suspending you for three months Mister Dragneel."

Natsu looked up, shocked. "Suspended?! But what about the mission?! They need me! And with Gray missing-" Dumbledore held up his hand. "You will still be part of the mission Mister Dragneel. And with this time off, I will give you a side mission."

"Huh? A side mission?" Natsu asked. "To find Gray Fullbuster. And bring him back." Dumbledore told him. Natsu stood still for a bit, then nodded. He turned around and headed towards the door. "Oh and Mister Dragneel?" Natsu turned around, humming. "Please don't destroy anything in the process." Dumbledore reminded him. "Yes sir…" Natsu grumbled, before exiting the office.

Harry sighed as he grabbed his toiletries and towel. He was so tired from today, and since Justin was petrified, he was a bit scared of what Ernie would say behind his back. Since Justin was one of his best friends. And on top of that, what did Professor Dumbledore want to say to Natsu. As he was about to cross the balcony was above the main Foyer, he heard a yell.

"SUSPENDED?!" Everyone in the dorm yelled. Harry gasped a bit and darted behind the door. He peeped out a bit, seeing Hermione, Ron, Seamus, and Neville facing someone Harry couldn't see. "Yeah, for three months." Someone sighed. Harry could only see the person's legs resting against the fireplace. "Well what do you expect?! That's what you get for attacking another student." Ron exclaimed. The person sighed.

"I know, and I deserved it. Ernie's a good kid. But I just couldn't let him talk about Harry that way. He doesn't know his story, why he can speak Parseltongue. No one knows. I just hate it when people assume things without knowing the facts."

"Yeah, but everyone knows Harry. He's famous after all." Semus argued. "That doesn't make a difference." Everyone went silent, looking at the ground. "When are you leaving…?" Neville asked, slowly looking up. "Tomorrow. On the morning train." Hermione bit her lip, before saying something. "You sure you're alright with this?" She asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine." The voice said, like in a smiling tone.

"Anyway, I better get packing." The figure stood up and moved out of Harry's sight. But Harry could hear the person come up the stairs. Harry stood still, holding his breath. He closed his eyes and took a breath, and stood up, facing the person who was suspended.

Harry gasped, and dropped his bathroom items. "Natsu…?" He whispered. Natsu stared at Harry, not knowing what to say. "Harry, I-" Natsu started. "You're suspended? Why?" Harry asked. Natsu looked at Harry, then sighed. "I overheard Ernie bad mouthing you. I couldn't take it, and I punched him…" Natsu admitted. "You what..?" Harry gasped.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Natsu smiled. "I'm only suspended. Not expelled. And hey! Gryffindor didn't lose any points." Natsu said, trying to cheer Harry up. "But still, it won't feel the same without you here Natsu." Harry admitted. "Hey, we'll keep in touch, alright?" Natsu smiled. Harry nodded, and gave Natsu a firm handshake, before pulling him into a man hug.

That morning, all of Natsu's friends gathered at the station to see him off. Natsu turned around at the door and gave a smile with a wave, before boarding the train. The Gryffindors sighed, Hermione wiping a bit of a tear. Lucy looked on with a stoic face, Gajeel's face with a grumble and arms folded.

The Hufflepuff kids watched from afar, Ernie wrapped in bandages and band aids. "You sure you're alright with this?" Susan asked Hannah. "Well, he did hurt Ernie. He does need to be punished. But still…. Natsu gave a bit of fun here…. It's going to be boring without him here…" She admitted. Ernie stayed silent, touching the bruises on his face.

" _He saved your life. If he were the Heir, would he have done that?"_

Ernie sighed and placed his hand down. He didn't know what to say or think. Natsu's words echoed in his head, making him feel rotten for what he said about Harry. But still…. He felt like he couldn't trust Harry yet. Zach sighed, seeing Natsu in the window of the train. He agreed with Hannah. It was going to be a bit boring without Natsu around.

Draco watched from a window sill of a tower, both confused and amused at this. He didn't know why Natsu was leaving, but he was glad it was a Gryffindor.

Natsu gave a final wave, everyone giving a slight wave back at Natsu, before the train jolted to a start. Everyone watched the train chug away from their sights, the gust of the wind pulling behind the train. "You alright?" Ron asked Harry, who wiped both his eyes. "Yeah. I just can't believe that Natsu went to such lengths to stand up for me…." Harry sighed, smiling a bit. "Come on, let's get back to class." Semus sighed, the Gryffindor's following behind him.

The Huffles left as well, not wanting to be seen by the Gryffindors. Even Draco got bored and left.

Once the Gryffindors left the station, Lucy and Gajeel looked down the track, shading their eyes from the sun. "Sooo, he doesn't know right?" Gajeel asked. "If he did he would not get on in the first place…" Lucy grumbled. "Don't you think Erza's being a bit harsh?" Gajeel muttered. "You wanna say something?" Lucy asked, eyeing Gajeel. "...No…"

"Then there's nothing we can do."


	42. White Shadows

A few hours passed, Gajeel and Lucy still waiting at the station. Gajeel was asleep, snoring, Lucy skimming a book about transfiguration. They were counting how many times the train passed them now. "Choo choo!"

"Let me get ooooofffff!" Natsu pleaded out the window as it past them. "That's nine hundred and ninety nine…." Lucy sighed, turning a page. "One more round and he'll be done." She muttered. "Leave it to Erza for suitable punishments." Gajeel sighed, sitting up half asleep rubbing his head.

"Lucy, Gajeel." Reza greeted coldly.

"Erza." Lucy and Gajeel greeted back, not breaking from their current positions.

"How's Natsu going?" Erza asked, looking down the tracks. "On his last lap now. Give it ten seconds." Lucy reported. "Three, two, one…" Lucy pointed to the right of the station, and right on cue, the train came rolling by, slowly steaming to a halt. Lucy closed her book and stood up, Gajeel yawning as he stood up as well.

Natsu wobbled off the train, and collapsed forward, his face green and swollen. As he fell forward, Happy made his way past Natsu and towards his comrades. "He was way out of it. I'm surprised he didn't jump out the window or something." Happy confessed, then looked at Natsu.

"Wait, you guys planned this?!" Natsu yelled, pushing himself up. "Three months suspension is light. You needed another punishment for what you did to a student Natsu." Erza growled, folding her arms. "Speaking of which, I increased your suspension."

"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled.

"Three months to find Gray isn't enough. So I asked Dumbledore to increase it." Erza explained. "For how long….?" Lucy asked, a bit scared to know the answer. "Six months." Erza said, straight to the point. "Six months?! Are you sure about that? I mean, if we need help, Natsu wouldn't be able to come help us…" Lucy mumbled, rubbing the back of her head. "True, but each of us can hold our own. And since Natsu is the only one missing classes, he is the only one who can find and bring Gray back. Can you do this Natsu?"

Natsu stayed on the ground, his fist supporting his body. He stared down, his eyes intense. "They took Gray from us. And I'm gonna get him back." He growled, shifting his weight to stand up. "No long how it takes…"

Natsu plonked his bag in the room setup for him in the hideout. He wiped his brow and looked around at his temporary quarters. "So where do we start? Gray could be anywhere, and not to mention there are a ton of secrets in this castle." Happy whined, chewing on his fish, swinging his legs on the bed. "We'll start with the most obvious." Natsu sighed as he put his clothes in the drawer. "The most obvious?" Happy repeated, tilting his head. "The fifth floor. We might be able to zoom on his location from there." Natsu explained closing the drawer. "Oh that's right! We could pinpoint his location from there!" Happy jumped up in excitement.

"You don't think we tried that?"

Natsu turned around humming in confussement. There stood Lucy, her arms folded and her body against the door frame. "If it were that easy, then Gray would be here right now." She explained as she stood up straight and walked towards Natsu. "Whenever we asked the dome, it would just give darkness. But still, you can try it if you want." She said, half smiling, but still. She looked very worried.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Natsu asked. "You look sick. I know! A fishy could help you!" Happy smiled and ran out the room. Lucy and Natsu watched Happy run out of the room, then turned to each other. "He is right. Are you feeling alright?" Natsu asked, feeling her forehead. Lucy sighed and softly pushed his hand away. "Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered as she turned to the door.

"Alright, if you say so…" Natsu sighed, folding his arms and gave a bit of a smile. "...Natsu…." Lucy started. "Please…. Bring Gray back. I'm worried about him. Also, I'm worried about all the muggle-borns here. I'm especially worried about Hermione." Lucy confessed. "And since Gray passed himself as a muggle-born, he already be…" She said, her voice cracking a bit.

She suddenly felt herself being pulled into a hug. "Don't worry Lucy. I'll bring him back. I promise." Natsu smiled. Lucy's shocked face turned into a warm smile, her heart filled with warmth from those words. "Thank you Natsu…" She whispered. And as if possessed by some sort entity, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Natsu.

"You loooooove him!" Lucy jolted out of her hug, and turned to Happy who acted smug flying above her, as she clenched her fist. "Shut up you stupid cat!" She snapped. "Here you go." Happy flew down and placed a fresh fish in her hands. "Uh." Lucy stuttered, feeling the fresh fish touch her hands. She looked up at Happy and gave a smile. "Thank you Happy." Happy gave a smile and flew beside Natsu.

"Anyway, I better get to class. Good luck." Lucy smiled and left the room. "See you later Lucy!" Natsu waved. "Bye!" Happy smiled, waving as well."

"That idiot… he sure knows how to warm the heart." Lucy smiled, looking at the fish as she walked through the courtyard. "I wonder when it was…" She looked at the sky smiling. "That I felt this happy last?"

Harry sat at the window sill, staring at the courtyard dimly illuminated by the soft moon. It was about a month since Natsu's sudden suspension. He missed Natsu's antics, and not to mention his sudden increase from three months to six months. He looked at the picture he had in his hands, of his room mates taking a picture the first night Natsu moved in. He sighed and looked in the sky, still feeling sad of his sudden departure.

Harry softly banged his head against the edge of the window sill, causing his head to naturally fall down. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide and slowly backed away from the window sill. He zoomed away from his spot and ran to Ron's bed, shaking his side. "Ron! Ron!" Harry whispered urgently, turning his head to and fro from Ron and the window.

"What is it? It's like, one thirty in the morning…" Ron gluggly yawned, rubbing his eyes. "The figure!" Harry hissed. "Figure?" Ron asked, a bit more awake. "Look!" Harry pointed to the window, Ron leaping up and ran to the window, Harry following tightly behind him. Ron placed his hand on the glass, squinting his eyes in the Courtyard.

He could see a faint outline of a person, moving like a ghost in the halls of the old school. Ron's eyes opened, and looked at Harry in shock. Without another word, Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and both of them rushed out the door.

"Which way did he go?" Ron whispered to Harry, as they slowly moved through the halls under the cloak. "I'm sure he was here…." Harry whispered back, both of them keeping an eye out for the mysterious person.

Suddenly the person dressed in white stepped out, centimeters away from where the boys were standing. Ron squealed, Harry instantly covering his mouth. The figure sharply turned to the direction Harry and Ron were hiding. Harry's eyes widened, his heart beating twice as fast.

The figure slowly stepped forward. Harry and Ron stepped back slowly, watching the figure slowly creep forward. But what Harry did not understand, was the excessive sniffing the figure was doing. Ron gasped sharply, as he suddenly stumbled back, dragging Harry to the ground with him.

Both boys landed with a thud and a short yell. Harry and Ron gave muffled grunts as they tried to subtly stand up. But as Harry sat up with Ron, they saw the figure just standing there, tilting their head. Harry looked down, and made a horrible realisation.

Their legs were exposed.

Ron looked at Harry with horror. Harry looked back, then looked at the figure. The figure sharply flung the cloak off the boys, Harry and Ron ducking their heads and protecting their faces from the person. Shaking from both horror and the cold of the night, the boys slowly looked up, face to face with the figure.

His face was dark, not saying a word to the boys. "U-Uh… It's not what you think…" Harry stuttered, his feet pushing him back. "Y-Yeah, we weren't following you…" Ron gulped, following Harry. The figure, still silent, stood still as he watched the boys trying to slowly back away from the white figure.

The figure suddenly turned his head sharply to the left, then back to the boys. He lifted his fist, the boys scared of the person's next action. They reached for their wands, about to strike. However, instead of attacking, the figure cloaked the boys and put his finger to his mouth, a soft shush seeping from his softly illuminated teeth, before cloaking their faces.

He stood up and turned around, as if waiting for someone. Ron and Harry looked at each other in confusion. "What was that about?" Ron asked. "Ah, there you are…" A slimy voice called from the hallway. "Where is your partner?" The man asked in his gritted monotone. "Professor Snape?" Harry whispered. "I'm here!" A female voice called out.

Harry and Ron could hear running behind them. They turned around, and saw another white figure running up to them. Ron and Harry swiftly walked out of the way, so they wouldn't bump into them. The figure stopped next to her partner and leaned over panting. "You're late…" Snape gritted. "I know, I'm sorry…" The girl panted and bowed in apology.

"Well?" Snape gritted. "O-Oh! Yes!" The girl realised, and handed Snape a pile of papers. "This is all the rooms we checked. No sign of the Chamber yet…. But we think we know which room it is." The girl explained. Ron and Harry's mouths dropped and looked at each other in surprise and amazement.

"But we need to investigate more." She finished. "I see…." Snape gritted, and tucked the paper in his black coat. "And what is your report with Gray Fullbuster?" Snape asked the other figure. "Gray Fullbuster?" Ron and Harry thought, wondering why they were investigating Gray. "I tried everything. Every morning I check the dome, but it's almost like it's blocked or something." The man explained. "And every night, I can't seem to find him." He sighed, looking down. "Gray's missing?" Harry whispered to Ron. "It has been almost half a year. With Mister Fullbuster roaming aimlessly around this castle, and in his condition, we expect him to be found and restrained as soon as possible." Snape said in an almost uncaring tone.

"Wait, I thought Gray was suspended?" Ron whispered. "So did I…" Harry muttered. "Then why is Gray still at Hogwarts?" Ron asked as quiet as possible. "And what does he mean by "In his condition?"" Harry repeated.

"I will try to find him as soon as possible. I promise." The boy said, giving a slight bow. "You are here to protect this school. If one of yours ends up destroying that promise, I can guarantee that we will send you and your friends back to wherever you came from." Snape gritted. "Not gonna happen. We came here for a job. And we're not gonna leave until we finish it." The boy gritted, stepping forward. "He's right. We won't back down from any job." The girl told Snape.

"Then prove it. For now, I bid you goodnight." Snape said, and slid back into the shadows. The girl and the boy stood there for a moment, then the girl sighed. "I swear sometimes I don't know which side he's on…" She groaned. "Let's go." She sighed. "I'll catch up in a sec." The boy called after her. "Huh? Why?"

"I'm gonna do one more round." He told her. '"Alright…." She nodded and continued without her partner. As soon as she left, Harry and Ron exposed themselves and walked straight up to the mysterious man.

"Gray is still in the school?!"

"You know something about the. Chamber don't you?!"

"Who are you?!"

The figure simply turned his head to them and said nothing for a while. He slowly slid his wand out, and pointed it in their faces. ""I'm sorry guys…. You can't know this, but in my heart it feels like you do…Stupefy."

Harry bolted awake, panting at the weird dream like sequence he just had. "What the…." He looked around the room. Everything seemed to be normal. "What was that…"

"Morning Harry." Ron smiled as he came into the room. "Ron! Do you remember anything from last night?" Harry asked suddenly. "Last night? What are you talking about? I slept the whole way through?" Ron told him, quite confused. "Nothing? About the White figures?" Harry asked, hoping it would jolt something.

"Nnnnoooo…" Ron slurred, confused. "Oh… well then… must've been a dream…." Harry mumbled. "Perhaps. Anyway, I'm going down to breakfast. See you in a minute." Ron waved and headed out the door. Harry waved back and hopped out of bed, making a b line for the window.

He looked at the Courtyard, getting an eerie feeling that last night was no dream. But if Ron didn't remember it, then maybe it was… But those strange figures of white…. who were they? But for now, Harry felt not to trust them just yet.

These White Shadows


	43. The False Heir

The entire lake was pure white with snow and ice. Children laughed as horses dragged the sleigh through the fields and onto the frozen ice. An excitement buzz was flying around the school, as it was almost time for them to go home for Christmas. Well, almost everyone.

Harry leaned on the balcony, snow falling around him. His mind flashed to the dream he had last night, because he couldn't shake the feeling it was something more than that. Hermione and Ron sighed sadly, wondering what to do to help Harry. "Hey everyone look! It's the Heir of Slytherin!" George pointed and laughed. "Be careful! He's a seriously evil wizard!" Fred teased with a bit of a snicker. Everyone around the twins laughed, Harry just silently taking on the abuse.

"Hey! Leave him alone you two!" Everyone looked behind them, and saw Lucy pointing them down. "It's not nice to tease him about it." She scolded. Fred and George looked at each other, then at Lucy to smile. "Of course." Fred reassured. "We shant bring it up again." George smiled, as the twins took a bow. "Your Highness." The said together, and shuffled backwards, before turning the corner backwards. Still stuck in their bowing position.

Lucy had an embarrassed look on her face, her strong pointing finger now slack from the awkward shuffles from the twins. She brought her fist up to cough in it. "Right. Anyone else want to say anything?" Lucy asked, looking at the remaining students around Harry. Everyone stayed silent for a bit, until moving again, not daring to make eye contact with the princess.

"You alright Harry?" Lucy asked, giving Harry a warm smile. "Yeah, thanks. Uh, Your Highness..." Harry stuttered, taking a bow. "Oh, you don't need to call me that! Lucy will do just fine!" Lucy said, a bit flustered. "A-anyway, If anyone's giving you a hard time you can always come to me." She smiled, as she moved on.

"Don't worry Harry. Fred and George were just having a laugh." Ron comforted as soon as Lucy left. "They're the only ones." Harry sighed miserably, looking back into the distance. "Ok, so half the school thinks you're nipping off to The Chamber of Secrets every night. Who cares?" Ron asked.

"Maybe they're right…" Harry said stiffly, moving into the castle. "Harry." Hermione called after him, she and Ron following him. "Harry!" She called once more. "Oh come on." She sighed. "Look, I didn't know I can speak Parseltongue!" Harry snapped. "What else don't I know about myself?!" He asked. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, silent.

"Look. Maybe you can do something. Even something horrible, and not know you did it." He reasoned, hoping for them to see his point. "Harry, you don't believe that. I know you don't…" Hermione said, her voice on the brink of a whisper. "And if it makes you feel any better, Malfoy's staying for the holidays too."

"...Why would that make anyone feel any better?" Ron asked, confused of Hermione's reasoning. "Because in a few days the Polyjuice Potion will be ready. In a few days… we may know who the true Heir of Slytherin is." Hermione said. Harry gave a silent sigh, before Harry gave a small nod.

"Alright, here's the plan." Hermione ducked underneath the table they were sitting at. Harry and Ron looked at each other, confused. She slammed two cupcakes onto the table, Harry and Ron staring wide eyed at the small cakes. "There is only one ingredient left. Strands of DNA of the people you'll be transforming too. In this case, Crabbe and Goyle. I've laced these cakes with a sleeping draft. Simple, yet powerful. It should knock them out for a couple of hours, which is necessary as we'd be exposed if they walked in on us questioning Malfoy. Grab a couple of their hairs and their uniforms, and we should be good to go." Hermione explained.

"Alright. But who are you going to be?" Ron asked a bit snarkey. "I've already got mine." Hermione said proudly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vile with a black hair. "Millicent Bulstrode. Slytherin. I got this off her robes." She said, putting the vile back. "I'm going to check on the Polyjuice Potion. Make sure that Crabbe and Goyle find these." Hermione stressed, picking up the cupcakes and gave them a little shake before putting them in the boys' hands.

Later that night, Ron and Harry waited patiently behind the Main Statue outside the Grand Hall. Ron pulled out his broken wand and gave a cough. Harry suddenly tapped Ron on the shoulder and suggested he do it. Ron sighed and agreed as he put his wand away. Harry got out his wand and chanted, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The two cupcakes began to float in the air, stopping at mid height. A door bang echoed through the hall, Ron and Harry jumping back behind the statue. A hands filled with food Crabbe and Goyle walked out of the Hall, stuffing their faces with creamy cakes. Suddenly, Crabbe and Doyle stared at the floating cakes. They stared at each other, and greedily grabbed the cakes and immediately stuffed their faces with the cakes.

They smiled and gave each other a look of approval. Their faces turned from approval, to a slow, slugged chew. Both of them looked at each other once more, before fainting down with a echoing thud. Ron and Harry slowly walked out of their hiding spots, and looked at the two unconscious Slytherins. "How thick could you get?" Ron questioned. "Come on, let's get them." Harry prompted, picking up Goyle.

The boys finally managed to lock both Crabbe and Doyle in the broom closet and picked their hairs. They immediately ran to the Fifth Corridor bathroom, where Hermione was meeting up with them. They burst through the doors, panting as they ran up to her, who was simply stirring the cauldron. "Did you get the hairs?" She asked. The boys presented their hairs, Hermione giving a nod. "What are those?" Ron asked, looking at the uniforms next to Hermione.

"Slytherin uniforms. I had to sneak them from the laundry." She told them. Ron then looked at the contents of the pot. What he saw made him gag. It was like old milk mixed with expired oatmeal and had the colour of troll phlegm. "Are we really going to drink that?" Harry asked, gagging. Hermione nodded. "We'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves."

Hermione moved the cauldron into one of the sinks and poured the chunky potion into three beakers. Everyone gave a disgusted look at the sound the potion made when it was poured. Hermione gave a beaker to Harry, then to Ron. "Add the hairs…" She instructed. All three of them dropped their hairs into the potion, a strong essence of their chosen DNA filled the room. "Ugh, essence of Crabbe…" Ron gagged.

"Well, cheers." Hermione said, trying to think positive about the potion. The three of them clinked their beakers together, before quickly drinking the potion to get it all over and done with. Ron was the first to swallow. "I think I'm gonna be sick…." He gagged, dropping his glass with a crash and ran into a cubical. "M-Me too…." Hermione gagged, dropping her glass next, and ran into the Cubicle next to Ron's. Harry bended over, dropping his glass last, the glass shattering everywhere.

His hands grasped the sink, gagging, his stomach in pain. His hand felt bubbly. He looked down at the hand, the flesh bobbling underneath his skin. He looked in the mirror, his face having that same feeling next. He watched in surprise as his face slowly morphed into Goyle. His mouth dangling open from how well he looked in comparison to the real Goyle. He turned around, Ron coming out of his stall emerging as Crabbe. He couldn't stop looking at his hands. He then looked up, his friend now looking like an exact replica of Goyle.

"Harry?"

"Ron?"

"Blood hell!" Ron sweared, examining Harry up and down. "We still sound like ourselves." Harry noticed, looking up and down his body. "You need to sound more like Crabbe." He said. "Uh… Bloody hell." Ron repeated, only deeper, sounding just like the real Crabbe. "Excellent." Harry smiled. "But where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I…" Hermione stuttered. "I don't think I'll be going! You guys go on without me!" Hermione called out from the stall. "Hermione, you ok?" Harry asked, a bit concerned. "Just go! You're wasting time!" Hermione begged. Harry gave a sharp sigh and looked at Ron. "Let's go!"

The two ran down the stairs into the dungeon and looked around. "I think the Slytherin Common Room is down this way." Harry pointed, Ron nodding in agreement. The two walked down the corridor, looking out for the door to the Common Room. "What are you two doing down here?" A gruff voice asked.

The two boys stopped stiff and slowly turned around. There stood Gajeel, Lily walking next to him. "G-Gajeel! W-We were just taking a walk…" Harry explained nervously. Gajeel stepped towards them and leaned into their faces. Ron and Harry leaned back a bit, not even daring to breathe. Gajeel hummed, darting his eyes between the two.

"I-Is something wrong?" Ron stuttered. "Hmmm…. Alright, here's how this is going to go down." Ron and Harry looked at each other, confused. "One, this is only once I'll help you. Two, you have one hour. Three, once you leave, don't come back to the Common Room. Got it?" Gajeel growled. Ron and Harry looked at each other, eyes widened. "Common Room's this way." Gajeel pointed, and led on.

"Excuse me." A firm voice called out. "Hm?" Gajeel hummed, looking at the person who called them out. The three boys stopped, watching Percy march towards them. "What are you-" Harry sharply nudged Ron, while Gajeel firmly stepped on his toe with his heel. Ron puffed his cheeks in pain, and bended over.

"What are you doing here Weasley? This is our turf." Gajeel sneered as Percy stood up to them. Percy raised his eyebrow and folded his arms. "I am a Prefect Mister Redfox. But you three should not be out and about at this hour." Percy explained in a calm, orderly manner. "But you're still a student Weasley. And a student in our turf." Gajeel sneered, getting into Percy's face. "What makes you think that I would respect your authority?" He said, cracking his knuckles a bit.

Ron's face began to panic a bit. He stepped forward, wanting to tell Gajeel to back off his brother. But Harry stopped him, shaking his head. If Ron said something, they could be exposed. "I suggest you back off Mister Redfox. Unless you want to be expelled like Mister Dragneel." Percy warned. Gajeel tisked, and took a step back hands in pockets. "Whatever. You're wasting our time." Gajeel sneered, walking on. Ron and Harry had a second to think about what happened, before shuffling behind Gajeel.

"Wait, what are your names?" Percy asked them. "Why do you care?" Gajeel asked, tilting his head back. "Uh, well he's uh…" Harry stuttered, pointing at Ron, who was pointing at Harry. "Crabbe! Goyle! Redfox! Where were you?!" An angry voice called out from behind them. Everyone turned to the voice. And there was Malfoy, storming up to them "Stuffing your fat faces in the Great Hall again?" As he stopped, he scanned Ron and Harry from top to bottom. "Why are you wearing glasses?" He asked, not knowing it was Harry. "O-Oh! I was… uh… reading." Harry lied, scuttling to take the glasses off. "Read?" Draco repeated, Harry giving a shaky nod. "...I didn't know you could read…" Draco muttered a loud.

Draco then turned his attention to Ron's older brother, snarling at what he was doing. Percy gritted his teeth, warning him about his attitude. Draco just gave a snuff as he walked away, Harry, Ron, and Gajeel following behind.

Draco flopped on the sofa in the middle of the Common Room. Harry and Ron looked around. The room was very green and dark. There was a very cold demeanor about it. Tapestries of famous Slytherins hung on the walls, the windows clouded with the murky lake water. Gajeel pulled up a chair at a nearby table and put his feet up. His exceed jumped up as well and took a seat on the table, watching the three near the sofas. "Well, sit!" Draco commanded, Ron and Harry slowly sitting down.

"I must say their disguise is impeccable. They're almost a perfect match with the real Crabbe and Goyle." Lily praised, very impressed. "Yep. Even the scents aren't that far off. But still. What gave it away was their voices." Gajeel grumbled. Lily hummed, as both of them listened carefully to the conversations.

"You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave…." Draco sighed, shaking his head. "They're an embarrassment to the Wizarding World. All of them." He gritted. Gajeel's eye began to move to Ron. He could see he was visibly tense. "What's wrong with you Crabbe?" Draco asked with a scoff. Harry knudged Ron, who relaxed and lied about a stomach ache.

Draco gave a sigh, and looked at Gajeel. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't done a report on all these attacks. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up." Draco wondered, before looking back to the fake Crabbe and Goyle. "Father always said Dumbledore was the worst thing that ever happened to this place."

"You're wrong!" Harry yelled, not wanting to listen to what Draco had to say. Gajeel's eyes opened wider, Lily and Ron gasping sharply. Draco, who was baffled at Goyle, stood up and leaned over him, like a pressing shadow. "What was that Goyle…? Speak up! Is there someone here you think is worse than Dumbledore?!" He interrogated. Harry looked at Ron, then back at Draco. "H-Harry Potter…?" He suggested, a bit worried.

Gajeel looked at Draco, wondering what his answer to that would be. Draco leaned back, giving a thinking look, until his lips gave a twisted smirk. "Good one Goyle. You're absolutely right." Draco smirked, sitting back down again. The other boys relaxed, breathing air of reliefness. "Saint...Potter." Draco spat at the name. "And people actually think that he's the Heir of Slytherin?" Draco continued. Ron and Harry looked at each other. Now was their chance to ask him.

"B-But then you must have some idea who's behind it all…" Harry stuttered. "You know I don't Goyle. I told you yesterday." Draco sighed, shaking his head. He moved to the side table, and propped himself onto it. He picked up a small green box that gave a small rattle whenever it moved. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He scoffed. He brought the box to his ear and gave it a shake. He pointed at it, and looked at Harry. "This yours?" He asked. Harry shook his head. Once he did, Draco looked around and stuffed it into his pocket. Gajeel and Lily gave him a cold eye. Disgusted at his actions.

"But my father did say this."

Harry and Ron looked up at Draco, Lily and Gajeel gave a curious hum at what Draco was going to say. "It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened. He wouldn't tell me who opened it. Only that they were expelled. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was open, a Mudblood died."

Gajeel and Lily couldn't believe what they were hearing. They looked at each other with shock. "This information…" Gajeel whispered. Lily nodded and looked back at Draco. "So it's only a matter of time one of them is killed again." Draco snarked and raised his eyebrows with an evil hope. "As for me, I hope it's Granger."

Ron leaped out of his seat and marched towards Draco, fuming mad. Harry gasped and stood up in time to hold Ron back. "What's the matter with you two?! You're acting very….odd." Draco noted, looking between the two. "I-It's his stomach ache." Harry lied, and then whispered to Ron to calm down.

Draco reached into his pocket again and pulled out the box again. He gave it another shake and pulled the silver bow tying the package together.

Ron took a deep breath and looked at Harry. His eyes went open, and pointed at his forehead. "S-Scar…" Ron stuttered. Harry reached to his forehead and felt his lightning shape dent. "Ron, your hair…!" Harry whispered. Ron touched his hair, feeling it grow back again. The two of them looked at Draco, who was too occupied with the pendant inside.

Gajeel gritted his teeth, almost jumping out of his seat. " _Crap! They're gonna get caught!"_ He thought. "So Draco, do you have any idea who it could be?" Draco looked at Gajeel, his attention away from Harry and Ron. "You have ears don't you Redfox? I told you I don't know!" While Draco was sneering at Gajeel, Gajeel looked at Harry and Ron, signaling for them to get out. Both of them mouthed a "Thank you" and ran out.

Draco turned around after hearing a thud from the door. "Where did those two go?" Draco asked. "Beats me. Anyway, I'm going for a walk." Gajeel sighed, as he stood up and left for the door. Draco looked at him, and shook his head.

Harry and Ron burst through the doors to the Fifth Corridor Bathroom. "That was close! We really need to that Gajeel next time we see him." Ron sighed. "Hermione, come out! We've got loads to tell you!" Harry yelled in her cubicle. "Go away!" Hermione yelled back. Myrtle gasped in surprise and slid in beside them. "Wait till you see. It's awful!" Myrtle giggled and flew behind them.

"Hermione? Are you ok?" Harry asked, and pushed the door open. Once the door opened, Ron took a silent gasp. "Do you remember me telling you… that the Polyjuice Potion was only for human transformations?" Hermione asked. Harry put on his glasses and was startled. "It was cat hair I plucked off Millicent Bulstrode's robes…" Hermione turned around, revealing she had transformed into a half cat creature. Her eyes were yellow, pupils slit. Hair and whiskers all over her face. "Look at my face." Hermione said. Myrtle then began to laugh. "Look at your tail!" Ron smiled, thinking how cool this was.

Myrtle zoomed off, disappearing. As Hermione moved out of the cubical, a loud click echoed through the bathroom. The three looked at each other and stuffed each other into the tiny cubicle. Soon, a loud grinding sound echoed, like granite rubbing against each other. Once the grinding stopped, a heavy breathing sound could be heard. A dark shadow floated pass the cubical. The three kids watched the shadow pass.

A crispy sound came from the bowl, the three kids slowly looking down. Their eyes began to to widen, the water in the bowl slowly turning to ice. "W-Why is it s-s-so c-c-cold in here all of a s-s-sudden?" Ron asked, his teeth chattering. The floor began to form a thin coat of ice. A dark growl was heard, Hermione, Ron, and Harry holding their breaths.

A few minutes passed, bare feet could be heard hitting the marble floor. A grinding sound echoed again, until a loud click was heard. The three waited for a bit before they slowly opened the door and looked around. "What was that…?" Ron asked, looking around. "Why is it so cold now…?" Hermione asked, each of them physically shaking.

Harry breathed out, the crisp air forming physically. "Weird…" He gasped.


	44. Dead Secrets

"Ugh this is hopeless!" Lucy groaned as she tossed away another file. "Going through all these files are going to take forever!" Wendy cried, flopping on the table. "I know it's a lot, but it's the only lead we got so far. We have to keep going." Mavis sighed as she telepathically moved one file away and began another.

"I can't believe how many students and staff came to Hogwarts fifty years ago…." Mira muttered reading her file. "Levy do you have any more Gale-Force Reading glasses?" Lucy muttered tiredly, looking at Levy. She looked at Lucy, her glasses dying down from the light the pages in her file slowing down. "Sorry Lu. This is the only pair I brought with me." Lucy groaned and banged her head in the table. "Like the First Master said Lucy. If we want to find out who opened the Chamber fifty years ago, this is the only way to find out who." Erza explained strictly.

"Hmmmm….." Natsu squinted at the file he was holding. "Ghmmmmm…!" He began to grit his teeth, his fists clenching the file, causing it to crinkle a bit. "Guhhhhhh….!" His head began to sink with tension. "GAAAAH! THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG!" He screamed, flinging his files into the air. "Shut up you idiot!" Gajeel shouted from across the room. "BUT LOOK AT ALL THIS! IT COULD TAKE US YEARS FOR US TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER!" Natsu screamed as he banged his hand on the table and pointed at the hundreds of files laying on the table.

"No it ain't! You're overreacting you stupid hot head!" Gajeel snapped. "What was that?!"

"Natsu, we probably all know who opened the Chamber. Now it's just investigating what happened fifty years ago…" Wendy said, trying to stay positive. "Maybe you should take a break Natsu." Mira suggested. "Maybe go for a walk, stretch your legs." Levy agreed. Natsu groaned and leaned his head back. "Fine. Might as well go try find Gray…" He sighed and stood up. He picked up his cloak and went out the door. As he did he flicked his cloak on his body, the corner of his cloak slipping out last.

Everyone watched him leave, and sighed. "Poor Natsu. Gray missing must be getting to his head…." Mira pitied, placing a hand on her cheek. "Well, anyway, let's keep looking." Wendy prompted. Lucy groaned and picked up the next file. She opened the cover, and gasped. "Ehhhh!" She exclaimed. She stood up, mouth open at the file. "Gajeel! Look at this!" Lucy cried, running over to him with the file. "Huh?! Isn't that…!"

Natsu wandered through the halls, his footsteps echoing through the hall. His fist on fire to illuminate the night. He looked left and right, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

 _Splash splash_

"Huh?" Natsu looked down, his feet rippling a puddle of water. He slowly looked at the direction and lifted his fist to see what was going on. He slowly followed the water leakage, leading him to the fifth corridor bathroom. The door opened with a creek, and Natsu peeked his head in. He shook his fist out and stepped on through.

The first thing he noticed, was that the basin in the bathroom was overflowing. He looked into the sinks, each of them blocked and the taps running. "What the….?" He muttered. Natsu's ears suddenly perked up, a soft crying coming from one of the stalls. He slowly walked to the stall and opened the door. Sitting there was the pale and transparent Myrtle, whining and moaning on the toilet seat.

"Myrtle? What's wrong?" He asked. Myrtle shot up her head and flew towards Natsu, her face in his. "Sure! Everything's peachy when people throw books at you!" She sneered. "B-But you're a ghost aren't you? So you won't feel it. Won't you….?" Natsu reasoned, not seeing the point. "Yeah! Ten points if you get it through her stomach! Fifty if you get it through her head!" She screamed, punching Natsu in the stomach and head.

"You're just like those other two! People like you will never understand!" She cried, before she floated down the hall, whining and moaning. "Wait, two people?" Natsu repeated, watching her float around the room. "The ginger and glasses." Myrtle muttered bitterly. "Ron and Harry? Why were they here?" He muttered. "Probably drawn to my muttered moaning." Myrtle battered her eyelids and floated away, disappearing through the wall.

Natsu sighed and headed towards the door. As he put his hand on the handle, the door flung open. He gasped sharply and leapt back, flicking his cape back hand on his wand. On the other side, was Gryffindor's Head, Professor McGonagall. "Oh, Professor." Natsu said in surprise, relaxing his stance. "Mister Dragneel. I thought I would find you here." She said in a calm order. "Is something wrong?" He asked her, folding his arms. "Professor Dumbledore would like to have an audience with you Mister Dragneel. This way."

Professor McGonagall opened the door and stepped to the side for Natsu to go through. Once he was in, she closed the door, giving the two the privacy to talk. Natsu put down his hood, his body shrinking to his pre-teen self. He looked around the empty office, and smiled at the new phoenix. "Hey Fawkes. How are you doing?" He smiled, giving the bird a stroke with the back of his hand. The bird gave a small, sweet, skreech, nuzzling his head to his hand.

Natsu sighed and took a look around the room, his back towards the desk. "Ah Mister Dragneel." Natsu sharply turned around, watching the Headmaster take his time down the stairs. His velvet cloak slipping behind him with each step. "Professor Dumbledore. You wanted to see me sir?" Natsu asked, fully turning around. "Yes I did. I was wondering… About your progress with Gray." Dumbledore asked, taking a seat at his desk.

Natsu stared at Dumbledore, then looked down, clenching his fist. "There's nothing…. It's as if he's just…. Vanished." Natsu confessed. Dumbledore slowly nodded. "Professor Dumbledore…" Dumbledore looked up, giving Natsu a fatherly like look. "What happened here fifty years ago?" He asked the old man. Dumbledore took a deep breath and leaned back on his chair. "Fifty years ago, a muggle-born student passed away. She was petrified stiff. Her skin grey and dry. Fortunately she was the only student that was killed." Dumbledore sat back up and sighed deeply. "It was a very tragic day…." He muttered.

Natsu stood by silently, listening to what happened that tragic day. "However, we do not know what ended her life…" Dumbledore looked to the side, watching outside. "Mister Dragneel, there is another matter I'd like to discuss with you." Natsu looked at Dumbledore. "I'm lifting your suspension. As from now, you are no longer suspended."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked, looking at the wise man. "But what about Erza?" He asked. "I already talked about it with her. And she understands." Dumbledore explained, moving a few things around his desk. "But I still need to find-" Dumbledore held up his hand. "I am aware that we still need to find Gray. But there is another matter I must send you to."

 _Knock knock knock_

Hagrid opened the door, and came face to face with smiling Natsu in his full Hogwarts uniform. "Natsu? Wha' brings you here? I though' you were suspended." Hagrid asked a bit confused. Natsu smiled and stepped into the hut. "Dumbledore lifted my suspension. I'm a student again." He explained, sitting down. "He asked me to come down as well. Not sure why yet."

 _Scratch scratch_

"Hagrid it's me! Dumbledore told me to come down." Natsu gasped a bit, his eyes opening a bit. "Happy?" He muttered. Hagrid opened the door, and looked down. The blue cat wandered in and looked up at his best friend. "Natsu! I'm so glad your suspension was lifted!" He cried, flying up to him and gave him a cuddly hug. "I thought you were going to help the others with their research." Natsu said, a bit confused. "I thought you would need help…" Happy muttered, looking up at him. Natsu chuckled and gave him a pat on the head. "Now why would I do anything without my little buddy." He smiled.

Happy smiled and hopped off Natsu and flew onto the table. "So why are you down here Natsu?" Happy asked with a tilt of his head. Natsu shrugged and leaned back on his chair, the two back legs supporting his weight. "I don't know. He told me to just be here." He sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "Well if Dumbledore sent you down here, it must be for a good reason." Hagrid smiled, pouring his guest tea.

Hours passed, Natsu was leaning on the table, playing with a dangling crystal. "Oh, I wouldn't do that Natsu." Hagrid gruffed, moving the crystal away from him. "It summons nearby creatures. Not wise to activate it here." Natsu groaned and leaned back on his chair. "I'm going to get some air." Natsu sighed, standing up.

As Natsu opened the door, his eyes opened wide. There at the door was two of his closest house mates and friends. Harry and Ron. The two looked at Natsu with shock, stepping back. "Natsu…?" Harry whispered, his eyes widened. Natsu chuckled awkwardly, and rubbed his head.

"Hey guys."


	45. A Fiery Battle

The three of them stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. Only the clunking of Hagrid's cups and cutlery in the sink could be heard. Natsu gave an awkward cough and sniffled. He looked away from Ron and Harry, rubbing his hands together. "So uh…" Natsu started. Ron and Harry leapt off their chairs, the wood scraping the floor.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I thought you were suspended for another four months!"

"When did you get here?!"

"Why are you here?!"

Natsu felt his back tilting against the chair, being overwhelmed by all the questions. But to be fair, Natsu would probably act the same way. "W-Well, Dumbledore raised my suspension last week. Just got back today. I was advised to come to Hagrid the moment I got back, so here I am." Natsu explained, raising his hands up in defence. "But what about-"

"Now now boys, Mister Dragneel has had a long day. Why don't we relax with a hot cup of tea?" Hagrid offered, setting down cups on the table. "Anyway, why are you guys down here?" Natsu asked. Ron and Harry looked at each other, eyes opened wide. "We uh…." They stuttered. "And where's Hermione? I thought she'd be with you as well." Natsu noticed, looking behind them. Harry and Ron shut their mouths and looked down in disgrace. "Hermione's…been petrified…." Ron admitted, closing his eyes in anger and sadness.

"What….?" Natsu gasped. "When…?" He gritted. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Natsu demanded, standing up fist clenched. "Earlier today… near the library." Harry informed him. "Who did it…?" Natsu whispered. "WHO?!" He yelled. "W-We still don't know." Harry continued. "Everyone's paranoid. Now all students have to be back to the Common Rooms by 6:00 and everyone has to be accompanied by a teacher to every class." Ron explained. Natsu gritted his teeth and marched towards the door. "Natsu…?" Harry asked, watching him march towards the door. "I'm gonna find who did this and make them pay for what they did to her!" He grilled. "I'm with you Natsu." Happy said, flying on his shoulder.

"Natsu! We don't know who it is! Not to mention you just came back." Ron reasoned, standing up behind him. Natsu opened the door with a bang, not listening to Ron's words. Suddenly, a firm grasp held Natsu's arm back, stopping him from leaving. "Natsu, Ron's right. It will just be one big goose chase." Harry told him, his hand still grasping on his arm. Natsu stayed silent, not looking back at Harry. Happy looked at Harry, then at Natsu. He could see the hurt and familiarity in his dear friend's face.

Natsu gave a silent sigh, and jerked his arm out of Harry's hand and turned around and headed back inside, softly closed Hagrid's door. "Trust us. We want to catch whoever's doing this as soon as possible. Speaking of which…." Harry turned to Hagrid, giving him a stern eye. His hand was shaking, and he overflowed the tea as if in a daze. "Hagrid, are you alright?" Harry asked, looking at Hagrid. "I'm fine. I'm all right." Hagrid comforted, placing the kettle down with a thud. "Um… we have to ask you something…" Harry admitted. He suddenly stopped himself and looked at Natsu. He then sighed and looked back at Hagrid.

"Do you know who opened up the Chamber of Secrets?" Natsu's eyes widened, and stepped forward. "Hagrid….?" Natsu asked, looking at him. "You were there fifty years ago weren't you…?" He asked, as if it just clicked. Hagrid gave a sigh, and pointed at the boys. "Now what you have to understand here is-"

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

Heavy blows on the door boomed, Fang barking in the distance. "Crap!" Natsu tisked. "We're so busted!" Ron whimpered. "Not if I can help it!" Harry told them, holding up his invisibility cloak. "Under the cloak. The three of you! Don't say a word." Hagrid commanded them. The boys ran in front of the fireplace and flicked the cape over themselves.

"Ah, Professor Dumbledore sir."

"Good evening Hagrid. I was wondering, could we…?"

"Ah of course. Come in. Come in."

Natsu sniffed the air as Dumbledore stepped in. He could smell it. That there were definitely more people than the Headmaster here. "That's dad's boss. Cornelius Fudge. Minister of Magic." Ron whispered to Harry and Natsu. Natsu watched Cornelius, with an untrusting look in his eye.

"Bad business, Hagrid. Very bad business, had to come…. Three attacks on Muggle-borns, the Ministry's got to act."

"But I never- Professor Dumbledore knows that I would never!" Hagrid defended. "I want it understood, Cornelius. That Hagrid has my full confidence." Dumbledore explained, defending his dear friend. "Albus, look. Hagrid's record is against him. I've got to take him."

"Take me?"

"Take him?" The three boys whispered together in confusion.

"Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison?!"

"I'm afraid we have no choice Hagrid…" Cornelius said, shaking his head.

The three boys looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.

"Already here Fudge?" A new voice asked. Everyone turned to the door as it slowly opened. "Good." At the door was none other than Draco's uncomfortable father Lucius.

"What are you doing here? Get out of my house!"

"Believe me, I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your….." Lucius wandered over to where the boys were standing, the three of them trying their best to coordinate with each other to get out of the way. Lucius stopped, still unaware they were being watched by three school boys. "You call this a house?" Lucius scoffed. "No. I simply called up the school and was told the Headmaster was here." He continued, looking at Dumbledore.

"And what is it exactly that you want with me?" Dumbledore asked.

"The other governors and I have decided it's time for you to step aside." Lucius told him with a straight face. "This is an order of suspension." Lucius pulled out a scroll from his cloak, tied with a ribbon and wax seal. "You'll find all twelve signatures on it." Dumbledore looked at the scroll, then back at Lucius, who had no emotion in his gray eyes. "I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. Well, what, with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle- ornes left at Hogwarts." Lucius turned around, facing the direction of the boys again. "I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school…" He said in a dark, slithery tone, jerking a slight smile.

Natsu softly growled, sick of this low life germ.

"You can't take Professor Dumbledore away. You take him away and the Muggle-borns won't stand a chance! There'll be killings next!"

"You think so?" Lucius asked with a scoff.

"Calm yourself Hagrid. If the governors desire my removal, I will of course step aside. However, you will find at Hogwarts that help will come..." Dumbledore stepped forward to face Lucius. "To those who ask for it." He gave a subtle look to the boys hidden underneath the cloak. Harry and Ron looked at him in surprise, not believing that he knew they were there. Natsu, on the other hand, gave Dumbledore a small nod. In which case, Dumbledore gave a small nod back. Natsu finally understood. Dumbledore knew this was going to happen, and he needed to make sure someone would watch over the school while he and Hagrid were gone.

Lucius turned around, wondering what the old kook had been looking at. He then looked back to his old Headmaster. "Admirable sentiments…" He whispered. "Shall we?" Lucius gestured towards the wooden door, letting Dumbledore go first. The boys watched as one by one the men left. "Come Hagrid." Fudge commanded. "Well?"

Hagrid cleared his throat. "Well… If anybody was looking for some stuff…. Just uh… follow the spiders.." Ron's stomach suddenly began to sank. His eyes filled with horror. "Yep. That would lead them right. "That's all I have to say." And with that, Hagrid left for Azkaban. But before he stepped out the door, he then began to say that someone would need to look after Fang while he was gone.

Fudge looked back inside the hut, wondering what Hagrid was blabbering about. He then shook it off and left behind Hagrid, closing the door behind him. Once the men left, the boys flung the cloak off themselves. "I can't STAND that snobbish slimy jerk!" Natsu screamed. "I tell ya, if I weren't a student here I'd slam him into the ground by now!" He sneered.

"In any case, Dumbledore's right. With Dumbledore gone, there'll be an attack a day." Ron said, looking between Natsu and Harry. "Look…" Harry pointed at the nearest window sill. There on the sill were tiny black dots crawling outside the window. "Come on." Harry prompted, picking up a lantern and headed outside, Ron and Natsu following tightly behind. "Come on Fang."

Harry lifted the lantern to the window, watching the spiders crawl from the window into the Dark Forest. "W-Were not going in there are we….?" Happy shivered. "We have to. You heard Hagrid. Follow the spiders." Harry explained. "B-But they're heading into the Dark Forest!" Ron stuttered. "So?" Natsu shrugged. "We're not allowed in there!" Ron argued, gesturing to the forest. "Come on, we've all been in there before. We won't get caught." Natsu said, rolling up his sleeves. "Come on, let's go." Harry agreed, leading on with the lantern. "Why did it have to be spiders? Why couldn't it be butterflies?" Ron whined.

The five of them walked through the dark grim forest, looking around to be on their guard. Fang took the front, sniffing for any enemies. Happy rested on Natsu's shoulder, looking around, while the three boys kept on walking forward. "Wait." Natsu held his hand out in front of Ron and Harry. "There's something here. Listen." Natsu pointed to the direction of the sound. "Yeah I hear it too…. Sounds like something big." Harry noticed. "Big?!" Happy and Ron repeated. Suddenly lights flashed in their faces, a sound like a car engine reved.

"Harry, Natsu! Look it's the car!" Ron pointed out. They all stepped forward, observing the car. "Must've been here all this time. Look, the forest has turned it wild." Ron stated, observing the grass and greens growing from the engine. The car turned off its lights, before it going silent again. "Come on, we don't want to lose the trail." Harry prompted, leading on.

A few minutes passed, the forest getting darker and colder. "Harry I don't like this…" Ron whimpered. "I don't like this at all!" He squeezed, his voice cracking. "Shush!" Harry hissed. "No Ron's right…. Something is definitely out of place here…." Natsu agreed, looking around. They finally reached a fallen tree, forming some sort of tiny entrance. Just big enough for thirteen year olds to fit through. The only problem. There were hundreds of spiders crawling everywhere inside. "Can we go now?" Ron pleaded. "Come on." Harry said, ducking on through. Ron stepped through, visibly shaking. There were spiders crawling on the ceiling, floor and wall. Luckily Ron didn't look behind him, as a huge spider hung down after them.

The boys finally exited the tunnel, walking into a big space. The spiders began to huddle, and go over a hill. But for some reason the boys didn't follow them. It was like a force was telling them not to go there. A thud echoed through the forest, as if a tree fell down.

"Who is it….?" An airy whisper called out. "Don't panic…." Natsu told Ron and Harry, as he held his wand, taking a fighting stance. "Hagrid…?" The voice called out."Is that you?" The voice asked. "W-We're friends of Hagrid's!" Harry called out. A thin hairy leg poked over the hill, the sound of heavy creaking. Dark black eyes peeped over the hill, hairy fangs opening and closing slowly. There emerged the largest spider that Harry, Natsu, and Ron had ever seen in their lives. "Oh boy…" Happy shook, his tiny body shaking. Ron's face began to slowly go from shaking, to pure terror. Natsu's face became more twisted with determination, as he had a bad feeling about what was standing in front of them.

"You… You're Aragog, aren't you…?" Harry asked. "Yes…" The spider replied, looking at them with his pitch black eyes. "Wait, you know him?" Natsu asked, pointing at the spider. "Kind of… he was there fifty years ago, when the chamber was first opened." Harry explained. "Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before…" Aragog carried on. "He's in trouble. Up at the school, there have been attacks." Harry explained.

Ron and Natsu looked around as Harry continued to talk to Aragog. Spiders the size of toddlers crawled around above them, as if waiting for something. "They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets. Like before." Harry explained. "That's a lie!" Aragog hissed, not happy with what he heard. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets." He gasped. "So do you know who did?" Natsu asked, still high on guard. "The monster responsible was born in the castle. I merely rode in the pocket of a traveler from a distant land before I came to Hagrid."

"Harry…" Ron whispered, shaking his arm. "Shush." Harry commanded, Ron going back to his paniced state. "Then if you're not the monster, then what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" Harry asked. "We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others…" Aragog told them. "Is it a big fishy?" Happy asked, still clawing to his best friend's clothes. "I said we do not speak of it!" Aragog repeated, more aggressively. Happy immediately shut his mouth and said nothing more. "Have you seen it then?" Natsu asked. "I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me…"

Ron looked up, hundreds of spiders slowly descending upon them. "The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here." Ron began to whimper and shook Harry's arm one more time "Harry!" He whispered. "What?" Harry snapped. Ron pointed up, Natsu and Harry following his finger. Once they say what Ron saw, they both looked at Aragog. "Well, thank you." Harry said very politely, trying to somewhat show Aragog they meant no harm. Fang began to whimper as well as all the spiders gathered around the boys.

"W-We'll just go…" Harry said, the three of them slowly backing away. "Go?" Aragog repeated, Ron nodding up and down. "I think not… My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst…" Aragog said, slyly. "Some friend you are! Hagrid isn't going to forgive you for this!" Natsu yelled at him, taking a fighting stance. "Oh I think he will… Goodbye… friends of Hagrid…"

"Can we panic now…?" Ron squeemed.

THUD!

"Ah!" The three boys jolted, as a spider jumped at them. Harry managed to fend him off by whacking a lantern into the spider, flinging it to the side. "What do we do?!" Ron asked, panicking. "We gotta get out of here!" Natsu yelled, kicking and punching the spiders that attempted to leap on him. "Yeah but how?!" Ron yelled back. The spiders began to surround them, the two boys pulling out their wands, Natsu sticking with his fists. "You know any spells?" Ron asked. "One, but it's not powerful for all of them." Harry told them. The spiders drew closer and closer. It was surely the doom for them.

 _HONK HONK!_

The three looked behind them, bright lights glaring at them. "The car!" Harry yelled out. The spiders scrambled back in shock, and the doors flung open. "Come on!" Ron called, he and Harry running for it. The two got into the car, realising Natsu wasn't with them. "Natsu! Let's go!" Harry called out. "You go on ahead! I'll try to hold them back!" Natsu called out. "We can't leave you here! There's too many of them!" Ron argued. "I'll be fine I swear! Now go!" Natsu begged. The car automatically locked its doors, just in time as the spiders began to pile on it. "Go!" Natsu told the car, as it began to drive away.

Once the car was gone, most of the spiders began to focus their attention to Natsu, while a few of them went after the car. "Alright. Who's first?" Natsu grinned, cracking his knuckles. As he did, his flame ignited. The spiders began to scurry back at this new magic. "How… What magic is this…?!" Aragog demanded. "What's wrong? Thought you wanted to eat me?" Natsu snarked. "So what's wrong?"

Silence for a bit, until the first spider attempted to kill him. Natsu screamed with fury as he upper cut the spider. One by one the spiders advanced in an attempt to kill Natsu. One by one he defeated each one, his feet and fists inflamed. Punch, dodge, flip, kick. But they were still coming in with no end. One spider managed to leap onto him, and tried to snap at his face. Natsu managed to hold it back by holding its front fangs back. "Guhhhhh! Gah!" Natsu headbutted the spider, and kicked it under its upper body, flames helping his kick fling the spider back. "Happy!" Natsu yelled. "Aye sir!" Happy grabbed Natsu's back and spread his wings lifting him up into the air.

Natsu took a breath in, his stomach expanding. "Fire Dragon….ROAAAAAAR!" Natsu's mouth released an orange fire, one by one the spiders began to fall. He then lifted his head and began to burn the webs above them. "You…. What are you…!?" Aragog demanded. "Me?" Natsu rolled up his sleeve, revealing his Fairy Tail enigma. "I'm a mage from Fairy Tail! And if you mess with my friends, you mess with me!" He yelled. "Fire Dragon…." Happy flew towards Aragog, Natsu's fists igniting in a bright orange ball. "IRON FIST!" Natsu punched the giant spider, causing Aragog to fling back, tumbling far away. The spiders burnt by the attack began to twitch, trying to get up. Natsu looked at the spiders who were down for the count. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to get your meal somewhere else. Let's go" Natsu said coldly. "Aye sir!" Happy chanted, flying up.

"Huh? Natsu look out!" Happy called. "Yeah I see it buddy!" Natsu confirmed. Spiders began to drop down, baring their fangs at them. Happy flew left and right, dodging the spiders flying down. Those that Happy couldn't dodge Natsu punched and kicked the spiders away. "Up there!" Natsu pointed, seeing leaves and branches. "Hold on buddy!" Natsu warned, protecting his face from the branches and leaves.

Happy and Natsu could feel the branches scratching their faces, arms, and backs. "Almost there…" Natsu said, as he could see the moon. A breath of fresh air and space around them was finally met. They were out. Natsu looked down, seeing a bit of smoke from the little fire he caused. "Natsu…."

"Yeah buddy?" Natsu asked, looking back at Happy. He was shaking, and his eyes were pure white. "Let's not go back there…." He pleaded. "Don't worry, we won't." Natsu promised. "Come on, let's go find Harry and Ron." Natsu told Happy. "Aye!" Happy chanted, flying towards the castle.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders! When Hagrid comes out of Azkaban I'll kill him!" Ron ranted. Harry wasn't listening though. He was too concentrated on leaving Natsu behind. "Ugh we shouldn't have left Natsu there! There was too many of them!" Harry argued. "I'm going back in!" Harry decided, going to Hagrid's house to grab a weapon of some sort. "Hey guys!" A call from above said cheerfully. The boys looked up, and smiled, relieved that Natsu was ok. "Natsu!" Ron called out happily, waving at them. Both of them flew down, Natsu landing gracefully on the ground in front of Harry and Ron.

"What happened? How did you escape them all?" Harry asked. "I have my ways." Natsu smiled, cracking his neck. "Ugh, I'm not going back there. What did we even learn from that…?" Ron asked. "Well we do know one thing." Harry said. "And what's that?" Natsu asked, folding his arms. "Hagrid wasn't the one who opened the Chamber fifty years ago." Harry deduced.

"Then who…?" Ron asked, looking at the woods. "That's what we're going to find out. Sooner or later." Harry said. "And we will."


	46. Vengeance for Her

Natsu leaned back on the wall with his arms folded, as he watched Harry replace the dying flowers with fresh, sweet scented daisies and lilies. "Wish you were here Hermione…. We need you…. Now more than ever…." Harry whispered. Ron sighed, nodding in agreement. Happy sat next to her head, looking at Hermione with sad puppy like eyes. "I brought you some fish Hermione…" He whispered, putting the fish next to the flowers. "It will help you get better…." He whispered.

This was the first time Natsu had seen her like this. She wasn't any different from the other victims. Her skin clammy and gray, her position like a statue's. Her eyes were wide awake. "She's not dead is she?" Natsu asked. "No, she's not. Only petrified. McGonagall said she had a mirror with her." Harry explained, looking up from Hermione. Footsteps echoed down the hall. The three boys looked in the direction, of the pitter patters, and saw Lucy and Gajeel, in hand, yellow daffodils.

"Hey, how's she doing?" Lucy asked, making a B line for the vase. "Still the same…" Ron told her. Natsu's eyes became a bit surprised. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, the anger rising in him. He suddenly snapped and grabbed Gajeel by the collar. "YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" He screamed. "HANDS OFF YOU IDIOT!" Gajeel yelled back, who was beginning to tussle. "Natsu! Stop it!" Lucy cried, trying to pull Natsu off Gajeel. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Natsu growled, turning on Lucy. "Natsu stop it!" Harry pleaded, he and Ron trying to calm him down. "Natsu! Please!" Happy asked, pulling Natsu's scarf.

They managed to separate Natsu, but his breath could still be heard, but at least he had visibly calmed down. The four looked at each other and sighed. "We didn't tell you at first because we didn't know what you were going to do. You were suspended, and we didn't know if you were going to break in and tear the place apart. And if you did, you would be in even deeper trouble. We were planning to tell you when you got back." Lucy explained. Natsu looked at the other boys, their hanging heads a sign that she was telling the truth. "The teachers asked us not to tell you…" Ron muttered.

Natsu growled and punched the wall, a few specks flying off. "Damn it!" He screamed. Suddenly he felt light slim arms wrap around his chest and stomach, a head burying into his back. Natsu turned his head around, and saw Lucy's head resting on him. "I know it's hard…. But we have to stay strong… We will find a way to bring Hermione and the other victims back." She swore. The other boys nodded, agreeing with Lucy. "Natsu…. I promise we'll find Gray as well. We won't ever leave your side." She whispered. Natsu stood there for a while, and looked at Lucy. He smiled softly and gave her a hug back. "Thank you Lucy…"

Harry sighed and went back to Hermione. He sat next to her, stroking her left hand. It was then he felt something odd... Like crumpled paper. He took his hand off and saw a brown note stuffed in her hand. "What's that?" Ron asked, walking over to him. This caught the attention of the other three students, who too went to look over Harry's shoulder. Harry opened up the crumpled note and read the contents. His eyes widened, and looked at everyone. "This is the reason…" He whispered. "The reason for what?" Lucy asked. "Why Hermione was attacked!"

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, snatching the paper. She read through it, her mouth mouthing the words. When she finished reading it, she looked up at the boys. "Of course! It makes sense…. But then why….? I'm going to investigate this!" She gave the paper back to Harry before running out the door. "If any of you need me I'm going to the library!" She called out. The boys looked at each other, a bit puzzled. "Come on." Harry prompted the boys, all of them following along.

"Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it." Harry read out loud. "So that's why the spiders were acting all funny." Natsu realised. "Guys this is it… That's why I can hear it, it's a snake!" Harry said.

"Hmm…. Gajeel, you're in Slytherin." The boys stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking at Gajeel. "Is there anything else you know about the basilisk?" Natsu asked. "Why are you asking him? He's probably working with them!" Ron accused. "Ron!" Harry snapped. "Don't worry. Gajeel's on our side. He's not like the others. He's had my back multiple times." Natsu smiled. Gajeel nodded and gave a sigh, thinking. "Well I heard from Malfoy that this creature only attacks Muggle-borns. Any other wizard that has a wizarding heritage will be left alone. But we already know about that don't we?" He smirked, looking at Harry and Ron.

"Anyway, something's bothering me. If it kills by looking in the eye, why is no one dead?" Ron asked. Everyone began to think, until Harry had a realisation. "Because no one did look it in the eye…." He said, as he stared at himself in the window. "Not directly at least…. I mean think about it!" Harry prompted as he started walking again. "Colin saw it through his camera, Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick, Nick got the full blast of it, but he's a ghost, he couldn't die again." Harry deducted. "And Hermione had the mirror…" Natsu realised. "Exactly." Harry pointed at him. "I bet you anything she was using it to look around corners in case it came along." He continued.

"And Mrs Norris?" Ron asked. "The water. There was water on the floor that night. She must've seen it through the floor reflection." Harry countered. "Natsu?" Happy asked, tugging on Natsu's uniform. "I won't be petrified right?" He asked. Natsu gave a smile and crouched down, rubbing Happy on the head. "Of course not." Happy sighed relief, happy his friend would protect him. Like he always had.

Harry sighed and looked at the paper again. "It all fits." He said. "Ok, but how is it been getting around?" Gajeel asked. "I think someone would say something if there was a giant snake roaming around the halls in broad daylight." He reasoned. Harry turned the paper around and pointed in the corner. "Hermione answered that too." He said. "The pipes? It's using the plumbing!" Ron exclaimed. Everyone stood silent for a while. Natsu looked at Gajeel, who nodded. "Find Master Makarov and tell him everything." He whispered softly, inaudible to a human ear. He nodded once more and slipped away, which Harry and Ron did not notice.

"Remember what Aragog said about the girl who died fifty years ago?" Natsu turned his attention back to Ron and Harry, talking about the discussion with Aragog. "She died in a bathroom? What if she never left?" Harry asked. Ron and Natsu looked at each other, then at Harry. "Moaning Myrtle…." They realised together. "Hey where's-" Ron questioned until he was interrupted.

" _All students are to return to your house dormitories at once! All teachers to the second-floor corridor immediately."_

The three looked at each other. They all knew where they were going. They bolted down the hallway, the teachers already there. "As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message." McGonagall said, staring at a wall. "Levy, do you recognise the handwriting?" Erza asked, Levy examining it. "No, it's not a handwriting style I've seen yet…" She muttered. "So either that means the one who did this is either below a Third Year, or there is someone uninvited roaming the halls…" Mirajane deducted. "What makes you say that Mira?" Wendy asked. "Levy only takes students who are Third Year and above. She's seen their handwriting, so if this is one she hasn't seen, then that's the only two options." Mira explained.

"This is bad. With Dumbledore gone and someone striking these poor students, then we may have to close down the school." Makarov said, looking at McGonagall who nodded. "Our worst fears have come true. Two students has been taken by the monster into the Chamber itself." She gave a deep sigh, and shook her head. "The students must be sent home. I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts…"

The four hired mages tisked and clenched their fists. "Why….? How could this even happen?!" Levy cried. "I know… But we know her, she's strong. She can handle herself." Erza comforted. "But how are we going to tell the others…?" Wendy asked. "He's going to be devastated…" Mira cried.

Gilderoy strolled down the hallway calmly, meeting up with the other teachers. "Sorry I'm late. Dozed off. What have I missed?" He asked with his normal cheery smile. "Two girls have been snatched by the monster Lockhart. Your moment has come at last." Snape said with a sly. "M-My moment?" He repeated. "Of course. Weren't you just telling us last night that you knew where the Chamber was all along?" Erza asked, a slight hint of a mock on her face. Gilgory stood there silent for a bit, blinking. "Well then, it's settled. We'll leave you to death with the monster Gilderoy. After all, your skills are legend." McGonagall said with a hint of sarcasm.

"...Very well." Lockhart gave a smile, and clapped his hands. "I'll just be in my office getting…. Getting ready." He said, backing away giving a smile. "He's going to run away isn't he?" Wendy asked. "Yep." Levy answered. "Now, let's get going! We need to find the Chamber as soon as possible! And we need to find Gajeel and Natsu!" Erza commanded, the four teachers running down the hall as fast as they could. As the teachers left, Pomfrey stopped McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall… who is it the monster's taken?" She asked. McGonagall took a deep breath and looked at the nurse.

"The girls that were taken… were Ginny Weasley, and Lucy Heartfilia."

The three students stood in shock, as the teachers walked away, finally revealing the bloody message that had been left on the wall. "Ginny…" Ron gasped.

" _Their skeletons shall lie in the Chamber forever"_

Natsu stepped forward staring at the message. As if his brain couldn't program it. "Lucy…" His knees collapsed to the ground, body slouched forward. " _I promise we'll find Gray. We won't ever leave your side."_ "Lucy…" Happy cried.

His mouth began to twitch. His teeth gritted, and he wiped his tears. He bowed his head, and stood up. He turned to Ron and Harry tears hanging from his eyes, but they were full of fire. "We're getting them back… tonight!" He declared. Harry and Ron looked at each other. They had the same look. They turned back to Natsu and nodded. "We need to stop this. It's gone on long enough. Let's get all our friends back!" Harry agreed. "Mum's going to kill us if Ginny is gone. We have to get her and the others back!" Ron declared. Natsu nodded and looked at the writing, then looked at his right hand. He turned it around and made an L sign. He gave a soft smile, remembering Lucy and Gray. He looked at Ron and Harry and gave them a serious stare.

"Come on! Let's bring them all back!" He declared.


	47. Chamber of Secrets and Truths

**Hey guys. As a special treat, I am not posting one, not two, but THREE chapters today! :D**

 **Enjoy!**

"Lockhart may be useless, but he's going to open the Chamber! We can at least tell him what we know!" Harry called behind him, Natsu and Ron dashing behind him. They burst through the door, startling the professor. He quickly hid something behind his back, all stiff. "Professor we have some information for you!" Natsu panted. The boys looked around the office, noticing open suitcases and draws opened. Everything was on the floor or the tables. They all looked at him, noticing a piece of cloth poking out behind him.

"Going somewhere?" Harry asked, a bit angry. "Uh… y-yes! Urgent call! Unavoidable. Got to go!" He said in a stutter. "What about my sister?!" Ron asked. "And Lucy?!" Natsu growled. "As to that, most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I." He said, trying to be sympathetic, but couldn't be as he was packing as he was talking. "You're the bloody Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Ron exclaimed. "Two students are missing and muggle borns are in grave danger! If you leave, then the enemy's going to win!" Natsu growled, banging his hand on Lockhart's desk. "Well when I took this job there was nothing in the job description about fighting-" Lockhart fidgeted, trying to get past Harry. "You're running away?! After all that stuff you did in your books?!" Harry exclaimed, placing a hand on his chest to keep him from running. "Books can be misleading." Gilderoy told him, standing a bit taller. "You wrote them!" Natsu pointed out.

"My dear boys do you ever use your common sense?!" He basically yelled and placed his items on the desk behind him. "My books wouldn't have sold HALF as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things!" The three boys gave a look of realization. "You're a fraud… You've been taking credit for what other wizards have done!" Harry realised. Lockhart gave him a tight lipped look. He looked like he wanted to take it back, but he stuck by what he said. "Is there anything you can do?!" Ron asked. "Now that you mentioned it, I am quite gifted in Memory Charms. Otherwise those wizards would have gone blabing. And I would never have sold another book." Lockhart said in a snobbish manner. "So you take their stories and erase their memories. Is that it?" Natsu growled, his teeth clenched together. "Well at least there's one here with a brain. And now that you know, I'm…" Lockhart slowly walked over to a table, and held onto his wand. "Going to have to do the same to you."

He turned around about to strike, but the three boys already had their wands pointing at his face. "Don't even think about it…." Harry gritted. "Natsu here defeated five hundred spiders single handedly, and Harry survived He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned. Do you really want to go up against us?" Ron asked, jerking his head over to the other two. Lockhart gave a visible sigh and dropped his wand as he put his hands up, signalising his surrender.

Ron pushed Lockhart into the Fifth Corridor bathroom, Natsu and Harry keeping him in check by keeping their wands at his back. Inside, the boys could hear mumbling and groaning. Lockhart peered around the corner, seeing the pale girl floating around the toilets. "Oh, who's there?" Myrtle gasped in shock. "Oh, hello Harry." She smiled and looked down, blushing a little bit. "What do you want?" She asked. "I just wanted to know… how did you die?" He asked.

"Oh, well aren't I popular…." She smiled. "What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Two people came in yesterday and asked the same thing. It was dreadful. It was right here, in this very cubical. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses…" She explained, pushing her glasses up a bit. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in." She said. "Who was it Myrtle?" Harry asked. "I don't know, I was distraught!" She screamed. But then she floated down, a bit more calm. "But they said something funny, a kind of made up language. I realized it was a boy speaking, so I unlocked the door to tell him to go away and… well…. I died." She finished, floating down face to face with the boys. "Just like that? How?" Harry asked. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. Over there by that sink." She pointed to the basin next to them, before floating away again. "Nobody missed me even when I was alive. Took them hours to find my body- I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. Olive Hornby came into the bathroom- 'Are you in here again, sulking Myrtle?, she said, 'because Professor Dippet asked me to look for you-' And then she saw my body...ooooh, she didn't forget that until her dying day, I made sure of that..." She giggled.

"Myrtle, one other thing." Harry said, Myrtle turning around. "Who came yesterday to ask you how you died?" He asked, stepping forward. Natsu darted his eyes between Harry and Myrtle. "Well it was a boy and a girl. And they looked older than you." She said, chuckling a bit, as she floated a bit. "Did they wear white cloaks?" He asked. "Yes they did. They come in quite often. Always ask me questions." She sighed and floated a bit more. "And you know who they are?" He asked. "I do." She admitted, swinging her arms around. "But I'm not going to tell you." She said with a sly smile. "What? Why not?!" Ron asked. "They asked me not to tell. Said it's a tip top secret. And I like secrets." She said, putting her finger over her lips. Harry sighed, giving up. He looked over to the basin. He walked forward, and looked at Myrtle again who was daydreaming. He wanted to ask more, but like Hermione said, one thing at a time. And this was more important than finding out who the people in white were at the moment.

He ran his hand over the basin, feeling for any anomalies. He ran over his hand over the tap and turned the tap. To Harry's surprise, no water came out. Something then caught his eye. He ran his fingers lightly over the tap, his fingers feeling a slim and scale like bump. He looked at the side, and saw a snake emblem on the side of the tap. "This is it…. Guys I think this is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" Harry told him. "Go on Harry. Say something in Parseltongue." Ron prompted him, nodding over to the big basin.

Harry nodded and looked at the basin. He opened his mouth, and like it was second nature he began to slither his words. "Aisssssaeeeethsaaaaa…" His tongue slithered in the language, and a loud heavy click formed. The four stepped back, watching the sink slowly grind around. The top of the basin floated into the air, and the basins slid out. Harry's mind flashed back to the night when they barely escaped Draco. That was the exact same noise they heard that night. One of the sinks slowly sank down and clicked into place, revealing a slide like passageway. Once the passage was opened, a hollow bounced echoed.

Gilderoy looked down, and gave a big sigh before he smiled that fake smile again and looked at the boys. "Eeeexcellent work Harry! Good work! Well then I'll just be… There's no reason for me to stay!" Gilderoy pushed past Harry and Ron who tried to stop him. But Natsu merely stuck his left arm out, catching the teacher by the stomach. Lockhart bended over coughing and looked at Natsu. "Going somewhere?" He asked sarcastically. He grabbed Lockhart by the back of the collar and flew him towards the entrance. Lockhart managed to capture his balance by flailing his arms before holding himself on the sinks next to the entrance. The three pulled out their wands and pointed them in the Defence teacher's face.

"You first…" Harry told him. "Now boys what good will that do?" Gilderoy asked nervously, trying to think of a reason to get out. "Better you than us." Ron snarled. "Uh…. But- Obviously yes…" Lockhart muttered, looking behind him down the dark hole. He fully turned around, looking down. His legs began to shake, palms began to sweat. "Y-You sure you don't want to test it first?" Natsu silently groaned and pushed Gilderoy down the shaft. Gilderoy yelped, his arms flailing as he fell. The boys rushed over and looked down the hole, Lockhart's screams slowly fading away. They then heard a thud with what sounded like some sort of crunch.

Silence.

"...It is really quite filthy down here…." A voice muttered from down the hole. The boys sighed as they tucked in their wands. "Welp, after you." Ron offered his hand over to the passage. "Oh and Harry…." Harry looked at Myrtle, who was simply hovering. "If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet." Myrtle giggled. Ron and Natsu gave a look at each other, thinking in their heads that it sounded very wrong. Harry closed his mouth and gave a little nod. "Thanks… Myrtle…." He said silently. Myrtle gave a final smile and floated through the wall. Harry looked back down. He gave a sigh and jumped down. Ron jumped next, but before Natsu pursuited, he turned to Happy. "Happy, find everyone. Tell them where the Chamber is. When they come, tell them to be careful. There could be a basilisk down there." He instructed him, looking behind him. "Aye sir!" Happy saluted and flew of swiftly and quickly. Once Happy flew out the window, he took a deep breath and pursued.

"WOOOAAAAH!"

Harry and Ron screamed as they slid at a high velocity. Holes of light flashed as they slid down. It was almost hypnotic. "AAAAAHHHHH! Omph!" Harry rolled out, his body feeling spikes and pricks as he rolled. Gilderoy patted down his clothes and heard a close thud. He stepped back in surprise after Harry suddenly burst out of nowhere. Harry stood back up, and dusted himself. "Gah!" "Oaf!" Ron tumbled straight behind him, bumping into his back, forcing them to both fall over. "Ow…." They both groaned and stood up, rubbing their heads. "Hey, where's Natsu?" Ron wondered, looking around. The boys could suddenly hear a faint scream from above. "Looooooooooook ooooooooouuuuuuuut!" They looked up, seeing a small figure slowly falling from above. It came closer and closer until the boys saw the face of a figure screaming.

BAM!

"OW!"

"GAH!"

"OOOFF!"

A blur landed on top of Harry and Ron, a cloud of dust and white specks flew around where the figure landed. "Owwww…." The boys muttered, sitting up and rubbed their heads. "Natsu what are you doing?!" Ron demanded, looking at Natsu. "Shut up! I can't control where I land!" He yelled back. "Guys now's not the time to be arguing!" Harry shouted, shutting them up. As they were getting up, they noticed Lockhart trying to scurry away. Natsu swiftly stood in front of him, pointing his wand in his face. He turned around and saw Harry and Ron pointing their wands from behind. Lockhart gave a visible face of defeat and put his hands up. "Eugh…" Ron gagged, looking down at the floor. It was covered in bones and dirt. "Remember, any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away." Harry reminded them. Everyone nodded, Harry looking around and signalled the others to follow him. Natsu poked Lockhart in the back with his wand. "Come on, let's go." He said, making Lockhart step forward.

They wandered around the sewer like maze for a while, looking left and right. There were many a time where they got severely lost. Natsu was visibly getting annoyed at this. He was also getting frustrated that he couldn't use his sense of smell to find Ginny and Lucy, as there were multiple fragrances overpowering his nose. "Let's try this way…" Ron muttered, pointing to the left. What they saw was something unbelievable. "What is that…?" Harry asked, taking a closer look. "It… It looks like a snake!" Lockhart mumbled out. "But that must make the creature at least sixty feet long!" Ron exclaimed. Lockhart became sick and doubled over. "Heart of a lion this one…" Ron said sarcastically. "Come on, let's keep moving." Harry prompted, moving on. "Come on o brave lion. Let's keep going." Natsu sighed, picking up Lockhart on his feet. He only grumbled, gagging a bit as they moved past the skin.

A few more hours past. Everyone turned down a tunnel, and came across an empty room with lots of tunnels. "Uh…" Ron muttered. He turned around, rubbing his head. "Which way….?" He asked. "How should we know?! We've never been down here!" Natsu yelled in annoyance. "Natsu calm down." Harry said calmly.

"No! We've been down here for hours, and Ginny and Lucy could be hurt! Or worse. DEAD!" Natsu shouted. Ron's face became angry and he marched up to Natsu, getting in his face. "That's my sister we're talking about! Don't say those things!" He yelled. "And that's my best friend we're talking about! If something ever happened to her I could never forgive myself! I know how you feel! I want to save Lucy too! She's the only person who's ever made me feel something I've never felt before!" Natsu's eyes suddenly widened, and he took a step back.

"What did… what did I just say…?" Natsu thought to himself, and dropped his wand due to his thought. Gilderoy found himself an opportunity and grabbed Ron's wand. Everyone gasped and stepped back. Natsu tisked, and took a fighting stance. But he couldn't do anything. Even though he was a fraud he was still experienced in magic. And not to mention Harry and Ron were watching. "I'm sorry boys, the adventure ends here. But don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girls. How you three tragically lost your minds… At the sight of their mangled bodies." He said with a sly voice.

"You bastard…." Natsu gritted. Lockhart ignored him, and pointed the wand to Harry. "You first Mister Potter. Say goodbye to your memories…" Everyone looked in a panic, as Lockhart swung his wand. Natsu swiftly bent down and picked up his wand to counter, but he was too late. "Obliviate!" Lockhart chanted.

A green glow came from the middle of the wand, and backfired into Gilderoy, forcing him to fly back. He hit his back on the wall, and face planted into the dirt. Once he hit the ground, the ground and ceiling began to shake. Natsu looked up, noticing a boulder becoming loose above Harry. "LOOK OUT!" Natsu yelled, and tackled Harry out of the way. Just in time before the boulder could crush Harry. They skidded on their sides into one of the tunnels. Once the tremors stopped, they sat up and coughed the dust out of their lungs. "Harry are you ok?" Natsu asked, helping him up.

"Y-yeah. Thanks Natsu." Harry coughed as he stood up. Both of them patted themselves down. They looked where they entered, seeing that the entrance was blocked. "Harry! Natsu!" A muffled voice yelled through the rubble. Both of them ran over to the blocked entry, climbing over the slope. "Ron! Ron are you ok?!" Natsu yelled, trying to clear some of the rocks. But judging from the soft and muffled quality of Ron's voice, they were trapped in with a thick rock wall.

"I'm fine!" Ron called from behind the wall. A sharp groan came behind Ron. He swiftly looked behind, Lockhart sitting up straight. He gave a dazed look, until he saw Ron and smiled. "Hello…. Who are you?" Lockhart asked, leaning forward a bit. Ron looked away a bit, confused. "Ron Weasley…." Ron muttered, looking back at Lockhart. "Oh really? Who am I?" Lockhart asked, tilting his head. Ron lifted his head in realisation. "Lockhart's Memory Charm backfired! Literally! He hasn't got a clue who he is!" Ron yelled through the rocks. "It's an odd sort of place isn't it?" Harry and Natsu looked at each other, hearing Lockhart's voice through the rubble.

"Do you live here?"

"No…"

"Really?"

THUD!

Natsu and Harry heard a bang and a thud. Natsu began to dig at the rocks. "Ron! What was that?! Are you alright?!" Natsu asked. "Yeah, I just knocked Lockhart out. W-W-What do I do now!?" Ron asked through the wall. "Just wait here and try make an entrance! Natsu and I will go find Ginny and Lucy!" Harry said from beyond the wall. "Ok. Be careful!" Ron called after them as they began to walk away. Harry squinted in the dark, and took out his wand. "Lumos!" He chanted. The Lumos glowed at the tip of his wand. But what was unusual was that the Lumos was weak and was fading in and out. "What is happening …?" Harry muttered, watching the Lumos fade in and out. Natsu watched the spell, remembering that the same thing happened with Lucy last year.

"Great, so we don't have light…." Harry sighed, as he cancelled the spell. "Don't worry I got this." Natsu muttered and pulled out his wand. He flicked his wrist and a strong flame erupted from the tip of his wand. The strong flame danced on the tip of his wand, a warm heat radiating from it. Harry stepped back, in pure shock and wonder. He didn't chant anything, and yet with a flick of his wrist a flame erupted from the end of his wand. Natsu continued to walk on, but noticed Harry wasn't next to him. "Hm? Harry? Is something wrong?" Natsu asked, looking at him. Harry stood there, mouth opened to the ground. "Huh?" Natsu looked at his wand with the flame on the top. "Oh! That…" Natsu awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "How did you do that….?" Harry asked, running up to Natsu.

"Oh…. well growing up I was taught how to fight with magic. Though I was mainly taught in Fire Magic. I mean, I could use different magic if I wanted to, but Fire Magic was the best for me. I rarely touched other kinds of magic." Natsu explained. They skid down a rocky wall, going deeper into the Chamber. "What about the rest of your family? Do they use the same magic as you? Or different? Or is it like the other wizards?" Harry asked, walking beside him. Natsu gave a hum as they continued walking.

"Well, there's Laxus, he uses lightning as his main magic…. Uhhh then there's Juvia who uses water… Um…. Then there's Wakaba who uses smoke….." Natsu muttered, his head in a thinking mode. "Oh and then there's Sting and Rouge who use Light and Shadow magic respectively… Oh but don't worry. Rouge is a good mage." Natsu smiled, still walking on. Harry looked at Natsu, amazed. "Incredible…. Does such magic even exist?" He thought out loud. "Yeah, of course! I mean, you're seeing it right now." Natsu smiled, pointing at his flame. "The universe is big Harry. There is still a lot to see, do, explore. Everyday I am learning more and more about the World of Magic. Before I enrolled in Hogwarts, I would have never known such magic can exist. It's incredible." Natsu sighed. "What do you mean Natsu?" Harry asked, tilting his head. "Well, there are just a lot of things that we don't know about magic is all." Natsu explained.

"For example, have you ever heard of The One Magic?" Harry looked at his friend, confused. "The One Magic?" He repeated. "See what I mean? Anyway, in my culture, some believe that magic came from a root source. And from there, different branches of magic was formed. Though no one knows exactly where or what the root of magic is. But it is called The One Magic. Master The One Magic, and you can master all magic." Natsu explained. Harry scrunched his face up, confused. "But aren't we already learning all kinds of magic?" Harry asked. Natsu smiled and turned his head to Harry. "Just don't think about it. It's just an old wives tale." Natsu reassured, and turned forward. Harry then stood silent, and kept on walking.

The two kept walking side by side in silence. "Huh? What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at a circular door. Natsu stepped forward and held his flame up to the door. The door was big and green. It was a dark green, made of heavy stone. The door was also decorated in seven snakes, spreading across the door. Natsu placed his hand on it and gave a sniff. His eyes widened. He picked up strong three scents, two of them very familiar. It smelt like…. Lucy and... "Gray?!" But he could smell something else. He could smell…. blood.

"Harry! They're back here! All of them are!" Natsu cried, trying to use his bare strength to open the door. "We have to get in there! They could be hurt!" He cried. "Natsu step aside, I'm going to open it!" Harry said, calmly but firmly. Natsu let go of the door, and stepped aside for Harry. Harry took a big breath in and slithered his words. A loud click echoed through the tunnels. The heads of each snake began to click themselves back, as a seventh snake curled around the outside of the door. The boys stepped back as the snakes clicked into position. "You ready?" Harry asked, reaching for his wand. "I am…" Natsu said, extinguishing the flame on his wand with a flick.

The final snake clicked into position, and the door swung open.


	48. Battles of the Strongest

**To be honest I'm not 100% happy with the climax, and I'm not sure if you will be 100% cool with what I did, (as it is against Natsu's fighting style) but I think it's cool seeing Natsu with a different fighting style. Also it's really short.**

 **Anyway, I worked hard on this chapter, so I hope you enjoy! :)**

The boys cautiously entered the cavern, their wands swinging round in case something jumped into them. The room was covered in water, snake heads erupting from the sides. Up ahead was the head of a man. Drips echoed through the empty room. Up ahead, were two black lumps lying on the ground. One on the left, one on the right. The boys squinted their eyes to see who it was.

On the right…. Layed Ginny. To the left….. was a beaten and bruised Lucy.

"Ginny!"

"Lucy!"

Harry immediately ran to Ginny's side, Natsu to Lucy. As they both kneeled, they dropped their wands. "Oi! Lucy! Say something! Please! Anything!" Natsu cried, lifting her head, softly shaking her. Her face was hollow, and her body dangerously underweight. Heavy bags were under her eyes, signalling that she didn't sleep at all. Blood was dried on her cheeks and forehead, covering her eyes as well. It was almost something drained the life out of her. "What did they do to you Lucy….?" He gasped, looking up and down her body. "Ginny! Ginny, are you alright?! Please please don't be dead! Wake up! Wake up!" Harry pleaded, copying Natsu's actions.

"They won't wake."

The boys looked up, and noticed a young, tall, slim man walking towards them. "Y-You're him…." Harry whispered as he stood up. "Wait, you know this guy?" Natsu asked, looking at Harry. "Sort of. I found his diary in the Fifth Corridor Bathroom. He showed me what happened fifty years ago…" Harry explained, still staring at the boy. "Hey! What do you mean they won't wake?!" Natsu asked. "They better not be-"

"They are alive. Just barely." The boy interrupted. Natsu's teeth gritted, his fist clenching. "SO YOU WERE HERE ALL ALONG AND YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING?!" He yelled at him. "I am only a memory. Preserve in a diary for fifty years. I couldn't do anything. Even if you wanted to." The boy said. Natsu tisked and looked away, back to Lucy. As he reached for Lucy's cheek, he noticed something move in the corner of his eye. He looked to the right, and saw a human figure. His upper body was hidden in shadows, but his lower body could be seen. He was wearing the Hogwarts uniform. The figure slowly stepped back and exited. Natsu gave a slight tisk and looked at Lucy, who was still out cold. He leaned forward and whispered to her. "I'll be right back Lucy…" And he ran off towards the figure.

Harry looked back down, and began to shake Ginny. "She's ice cold… Please Ginny, don't be dead…." Harry begged. As he did, the boy bent down and picked up Harry's wand. "You have to help me! There's a basilisk!" He pleaded. "It will not come unless it is called." He said calmly. Harry looked up, and saw his wand, being toyed in his hands. "Give me my wand…." Harry said, reaching his hand out. "You won't be needing it." The boy said simply, twirling the wand in his fingers.

"B-But we've got to get out of here! We've got to save them!" Harry said, gesturing to the two unconscious girls. "I'm afraid I can't do that Harry. You see, as poor Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger." The boy explained. Harry looked away for a moment, then looked back at Tom with a confused look. "Yes Harry. It was Ginny who opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Natsu ducked under the low dip in the ceiling to avoid hitting his head. He stood back up straight, his feet now a bit wet from the puddle he walked through. "Gray? Are you here?" He called out. He sniffed the air, the scent of Gray everywhere. He was definitely here. He kept on walking, until he saw a human shadow standing against a rock.

"No, she couldn't have…" Harry gasped in disbelief. "She wouldn't…" He muttered. "It was Ginny who set the basilisk free on the mudbloods and Filches cat. Ginny who wrote the threatening messages on the walls. Well… not all her. She had a little bit of help…" The boy said with a smirk. "What…?" Harry asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.

Natsu walked closer to the figure, and reached out his palm, igniting a flame on his hand.

"Didn't you know Harry? There was another. One who I saw with immense power. I knew I had to use him. And I knew that Dumbledore would keep him on grounds despite what he told you. He was the perfect pawn along with Ginny." The boy said with a slither.

Natsu reached the shadow. As he lifted his palm, something sharply grabbed his wrist. Natsu gasped, the flame going out. He saw a smile on the figure's face, and his eyes white, iris's small.

CRASH!

Harry gasped and backed away, while the boy stood perfectly still, his body not even jolting. The statue's nose broke, as a human came flying out in dust and stone. Harry widened his eyes at the person. He could recognise that pink hair anywhere. Natsu skidded on his back a bit, before adjusting his balance mid bounce and planted his feet firmly on the ground, a hand on the floor to stop him from skidding. He landed right next to Harry, and wiped his lip with his free hand after he came to a complete stop. "Natsu! Are you okay?!" Harry asked, helping his friend up. "Yeah I'm fine…" Natsu reassured, standing up. "What was that?!" Harry asked, looking at the statue, dust imating from its mouth.

The young man turned around and sighed. "Must you be so reckless?" He said, shaking his head. A sinister chuckle came from the dust, the shadow of a figure could be seen walking through. "Sorry, force of habit…" The figure said with a dark tone. As the dust cleared, Harry's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it.

"Gray…?" He gasped. "I-I thought you were suspended!" Harry called out. "No... " Natsu said, bending over a bit due to the throw. "He's been here the whole time…." He said. "Then that means….. That night…." Harry thought back to the night he and Ron were following the white being. "It wasn't a dream…. But then how could Ron not-" Then it suddenly clicked. "Obliviate…." He gasped. "The figure must've knocked me out, but erased Ron's memories!" He thought.

Gray just stood there with a canine like grin. He then snapped out his wand and ran at full speed towards the intruders, his tongue hanging out like a dog.

"Stay."

Harry and Natsu's eyes in shock as Gray was centimeters away from their face. He gave a soft growl before standing up straight and hung his head low, like a dog obeying his master. Natsu blinked, then gasped as he grabbed Gray's shoulders and began to shake him. "Gray? Gray! Can you hear me?! Are you alright?! Gray!" Natsu pleaded, but to no avail. "He cannot hear you. He is in my control." The boy explained with a straight face. Natsu tisked, and looked at the boy with disgusted eyes. The boy pointed his wand at the statue, and gave it a wave, muttering a chant. Little by little, the stone floated back into place, as if the statue was never broken.

"So you brainwashed Ginny and Gray to do your dirty work…?" Harry gritted. "Indeed. Mister Fullbuster came into the girls bathroom snooping like a rat. So I thought I would put him to use. A slave like all Mudbloods should be. So he became a guard dog. Protecting the Chamber against… unwanted pheasants." The boy said, as he circled around the boys. "Ginny on the other hand was, shall we say say... In a trance. Although, she was afraid of the diary and tried to destroy it in the girls bathroom. And who to find it but you…" The boy said, stopping pointing at Harry with his wand.

"The person I was most anxious to meet. The reason why I let you and your companions in when Gray could have crushed you." Harry tightened his lip and walked up to him. "And why did you want to meet me?" He asked, slightly gritting his teeth. "I knew I had to talk to you. Meet you if I could… So I decided to show you the capture of that brainless oaf Hagrid to gain your trust."

"Hagrid's our friend!" Harry cried, stepping closer to the boy. His face came to a realisation. "And you framed him didn't you?" Harry gritted. "It was my word against Hagrid's. Only Dumbledore believed him innocent." Harry gave a slight and mocking smile. "But he saw right through you didn't he?" He mocked. "He certainly kept an annoyingly close eye on me after that!" The boy spat. "I knew it was too dangerous to open the Chamber again, so I left a diary. Preserving my sixteen year-old self so that one day, I would be able to lead another to finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work!" He declared.

"What about Lucy? She had nothing to do with this!" Natsu asked, trying to restrain himself. The boy stopped and looked at him. "She was… how to say it…. In the wrong place at the wrong time. She saw Ginny write the message. So I had Ginny and Gray bring her here. But there is another reason I brought her down…" He pointed at Natsu with the wand and walked up to him, looking at him straight in the eye. "I sensed something slumbering in you. Something more powerful than any of us could comprehend. I knew you had a connection to this girl… So I wanted to see what you would do if you saw her in such a deplorable state…"

He backed away from the two Gryffindors, who were gritting their teeth. "You bastard…" Natsu growled. "Well, you're not going to finish it this time… In a few hours, the Mandrake Daft will be ready. And everyone who's petrified will band right together." Harry declared. The boy shook his head, looking Harry straight in the eye. "Haven't I told you? Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore. For many months now, my target has been you…" Harry breathed sharply.

"How is it, a baby with no magical power survived a curse? How is it you walked away with only a scar? HOW IS IT?! That you defeated on of the greatest wizards of all time?" The boy asked rapidly, before he backed off. "Why do you care? Voldemort was after your time!" Natsu demanded. The boy looked at Natsu and scoffed.

"Voldemort… is my past, present, and future…."

The man spelt his name in the air, etching his name in orange fire. Natsu's eyes widened as he wrote his name.

"His name is..."

Tom.

"Tom."

Marvelo

"Marvelo."

Riddle

"Riddle."

The man swiped his hands, the letters rearranging themselves.

"Also known as…."

The two boys watched, their eyes widened with horror and shock.

"The Lord of Darkness…"

I Am….

"Lord Voldemort."

Lord Voldemort.

Harry and Natsu looked at Tom with widened eyes. "You… You're the Heir of Slytherin…" Harry gasped. Tom turned and gave an evil eye. "You're Voldemort…" Natsu whispered. "Surely you wouldn't think I would keep my FILTHY Muggle father's name." Tom gritted, shaking at the fact that he was a halfblood. He smirked and shook his head. "No… I fashioned myself a new name. A name that I knew that where everyone would walk would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Harry stepped forward with stride, leaning into Tom's face. "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Natsu rebutted. "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere MEMORY of me." Tom slithered. "He'll never be gone! Not as those who remain are loyal to him!" Harry yelled.

There was silence in the room. Tom looked with angry eyes at the boys, Harry and Natsu firing the same shots as him.

"Natsu…." A voice strained. Natsu quickly turned his attention to the voice. He looked down at Lucy, her eyes opening softly. "Lucy? Lucy!" He cried as he swooped down and lifted her head. "It's so cold…. I'm so hungry…. Why is it so dark?"

He gasped sharply as he looked at her eyes. They were bloodshot, her clear chocolate eyes, blinded with cloudiness. "It's so cold…. So dark…"

"Lucy… What happened to you?!" Natsu demanded. "Natsu…? I can hear you…. I can feel you…. But why can't I see you…?" Lucy asked, her voice weaker than a mouse. Natsu's eyes widened further, his pupils dilated. "Natsu…? Are you there…? Is that you….? Natsu…?" Lucy weakly lifted her hand up, her bruised and scratched arm shaking as she tried to find Natsu's cheek.

Natsu looked down, his eyes shaded by his hair as he held Lucy's hand and placed it on his warm cheek. "Yeah. I'm here. It's me Lucy." Natsu said. Lucy gave a weak smile, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank goodness…." She whispered.

"Natsu…. I'm so sorry…" She said, her voice hoarse and weak. Natsu looked at Lucy in shock. "I tried to bring him back….. But I failed….. They took my keys Natsu….. They broke my wand, and my ring…." Natsu looked behind him, noticing little shards of the blue ethernano around them.

"I was too weak to bring them back….. I'm….. such a failure aren't I….?" Lucy's blue tears began to flow from her stinging red eyes. "I don't deserve…. To be in Fairy Tail do I…? If I can't….. Even protect my friends….?" She began to choke, her voice getting softer from the pain. "It hurts… It hurts so badly Natsu…" She said. She gave a cough, but even that light cough made her whole body electrocute with excruciating pain.

Natsu's eyes went dark, before he reached to Lucy for a hug. Lucy was too weak to even have a reaction. "You're not a failure Lucy. I invited you to the guild because I knew you were one of us the moment I met you. Fairy Tail never gives up. And you never did." He whispered.

Lucy's eyes began to roll tears again, her mouth gritting. "Na….tsu…." She whispered. Natsu released her from her hug, and placed her gently on the ground. "Get some rest. I'll take it from here." He assured her. Lucy formed a weak smile, as Natsu's warm hands placed her down. She could here his footsteps walk away. "Thank you…." She whispered, a final tear rolling down her cheek, as she passed out.

Everyone watched, as Natsu's footsteps echoed towards Tom. His face was obscured with darkness. "Natsu?" Harry asked, watching Natsu walk, but not moving from Ginny's side.

"You brainwashed Gray to do your dirty work…."

Gray watched with a sinister smile, as Natsu came forward.

"You made Lucy suffer and tortured her for hours…."

Lucy laid motionless on the ground, as if in a deep sleep.

"You dragged innocent people into this…"

Harry watched, Ginny still laying motionless, while Ron was waiting anxiously with an amnesiac phoney.

He grabbed the sleeve of his uniform, and took it off in one fell swoop. His top had a full sleeve on his left, and short sleeved on his right, white baggy pants and sandals, with a white scarf floating in the air.

"You have made the greatest mistake of making us your enemy…" Natsu growled, bringing his right fist up. His fist clenched and and tucked it sharply into his body. His arms bulging in muscle and veins.

"NOW YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH US!"

Tom merely smirked and shook his head. "I must say Dragneel. I was so looking forward to you releasing whatever you had in you. How disappointing…" Tom held up his hand and clicked his fingers. A flash zoomed in, Natsu feeling some kind of push against his chest. His back then felt the hard surface of rocks. He could then feel himself fall, his back skidding the dirt.

"NATSU!" Harry yelled, watching the rubble fly from where Natsu was pushed back to. "EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry swiftly looked forward, before being blown away. His back skidded the wet floor, his shoulder hurting a bit. "Tsk tsk tsk. Eyes on your own enemy Potter!" Tom spat.

Natsu groaned as he stood up, facing his friend and rival. "Damn you Gray…" He gritted. Gray smirked and walked up to him casually, flicking his arms out gesturing to the whole room. "We're all alone Natsu." He said, twirling around the big room, the size of the Grand Magic Games arena. "We can release our magic here…." Gray said, putting his hands together. A icy blue glow erupted from his hands, forming sword like weapons of ice on his forearm. "And finally see who is the strongest!" He declared with a mad eye. Natsu tisked and flicked his arms, his hands and arms erupting in flames. "I'm going to bring you back Gray! I don't want to do this, but if the only way to bring you back, then I'm gonna beat the living crap out of you!" Natsu yelled, as the two long rivals ran towards each other, Natsu with a roar, Gray with a psycho smile.

Tom turned around and stretched out his hand. He chanted Parseltongue, and turned back to Harry. The mouth of the statue opened with a grinding sound. "Now let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous. Harry. Potter."

Harry's face began to worry. He scuttled back and stood up to run. He could hear a giant slither, and a continuous splash of something. Something big. He knew it was the basilisk, and had to move. Harry tried to say something in Parseltongue, but to no avail. "Parseltongue won't save you now! The basilisk only responds to me!" Harry kept running, hearing the basilisk slithering closer, its hiss itching closer and closer. Harry suddenly tripped and fell forward, his glasses falling off.

He scrambled to find his glasses, but once he found his glasses, he could feel the basilisk towering above him. He tried to move, but found that for some reason he just couldn't. This was it. It was all over for him.

"HARRY!" Harry gasped and looked up, seeing Happy fly in, carrying a brown fabricated object. Behind him was Fawkes, who immediately swooped down on the basilisk and scratched his eyes out. Harry gasped, watching the phoenix scatch the fowl snake's eyes out. "No!" Tom cried.

"Harry! Here!" Happy flew down to Harry and dropped something in front of Harry. "What is this?" Harry asked, looking at Happy. "Dumbledore told me to bring that down! Said it would help you fight!" Happy yelled in a panic. Harry observed the hat, then looked at Happy confused. "How is this meant to help me?!" He yelled, needing to know. "He just said take it to Harry!" Happy cried. Harry sighed and used the strings attached to the hat to tie around his waist.

"You may have blinded the basilisk, but it can still hear you!" Tom yelled with anger. Harry turned around, finally seeing the basilisk for what it was. It was like a wingless dragon. It's scales grey and dull. Its mouth had three sets of bloody, brown teeth. Harry panted loudly, and tried to stand up without a sound. But the basilisk heard him, its face in Harry's direction. He put his hand up in defence, as the basilisk moved in for the kill.

He suddenly felt like he was picked up and moved aside. He moved his hands out of his face to see what was going on. He saw the basilisk far away shaking its head, his body moving at a fast speed. He looked down, noticing that his feet weren't on the ground. He looked behind and noticed he had…. Wings? He turned further and noticed Happy had picked him up and flew him away from the basilisk just as it struck.

"Happy!" Harry yelled with relief. Happy put Harry down as soon as they were far away from the snake. "Happy listen to me! Natsu is in danger! He's fighting Gray right now! Go and help him!" Harry ordered. Harry pointed to the hole which cased caused by Natsu and Gray. "He's in there! I can take it from here!"

"Aye sir!" Happy saluted and flew off towards Natsu.

"Fire Dragon…. ROAR!" Natsu roared, putting his hands to his mouth, releasing a fire tyrant. Gray swiftly dodged and ran towards Natsu. He put his right hand on on his forearm and slid it down his arm over his hand. As his hand ran down his arm, a shield of thick ice formed. Once his mold finished, it looked like a sword formed on his arm. He reached Natsu, and attempted to kick him in the waist, which Natsu dodged by jumping back. Gray swung his ice weapon in his face, Natsu managing to dodge by leaning back. Natsu used his gravity to round off and take a fighting stance.

"Fire Dragon, IRON FIST!" Natsu chanted, hitting his ice weapon. Gray blocked it, but in the process, melted his weapon. When the weapon melted through, Natsu managed to punch his fist in Gray's face, forcing him to fly back. Once Gray was up against the wall, Natsu took the opportunity and reached for his wand. But he couldn't find it. He gasped, realising he must've dropped it in all the communication.

"Ice Make…." Natsu gasped, looking at Gray who had a bazooka made of ice on his shoulder. "BAZOOKA!" He yelled, a light of blue shooting from the end. Natsu put his hands up in a block, ready to take it on. But then he felt his body lifting. The blast hit the wall, Natsu seeing the aftermath of the blast. "Happy!" He smiled, looking at his friend. "Thanks!" He smiled. "How'd you get through the entrance is blocked!" Natsu asked. "There's a few tunnels that's just big enough for me to fit. Anyway, I told the others. They'll be here in fifteen minutes!" Happy informed.

"Great! I knew I could count on you!" Natsu praised. "Ice Make…. Spear!" Spears began to erupt from the floor, making Happy fly around to dodge them. "Happy! Leave Gray to me! Go find the others and show them how you got here!" Natsu ordered. "But Harry-" Happy began. "It's fine! I got this!" Happy stayed silent, then nodded and dropped Natsu. "Fire Dragon…. ROAR!" Natsu chanted, melting all the spears as he fell. He landed on Gray and the two began to engage in a fist to fist fight.

Gray kicked him off, and punched him in the face, Gray's face filled with bloodthirsty delight. Natsu skidded back and ran forward, his fist ignited. Gray frosted his fist and punched Natsu's flame fist, causing an explosion. The ground rumbled and cracked as the two contacted fists. Natsu gritted his teeth, staring at Gray with angry, but pleading eyes. Gray's face was smiling wide, his eyes small and bloodthirsty.

"Gray! I know you're in there! So please knock it off!" Natsu pleaded. Gray just growled, and kicked him in the waist. As Natsu ran forward again, Gray just smiled and jumped up. As Gray did, a crash erupted through the wall. Natsu felt a human size item bump into them, and rolled back. He gasped and looked around. He saw Harry on the floor, rubbing his head. Next to him was a sword encrusted with gold and ruby.

Both of them stood up, Natsu wiping his mouth, while Harry picked up his sword. "Where did you get that?" Natsu asked, watching the snake slither and coil around the two, while Gray landing in front of them, smiling that evil smile, cracking his knuckles. He flicked out his wand and licked his lips, looking at the Gryffindors. "Dumbledore gave it to me through Happy. Said it was to help me fight. Fawkes also blinded the basilisk, so it's safe to look at him." Harry explained, taking a fighting stance pointing the sword all around, Natsu taking a fighting stance looking at Gray. The two touched backs, keeping an eye out for each other.. "So we need to beat it with a sword?" Natsu questioned. "I think so…." Harry admitted, keeping his guard up. "Well then. It's a good thing Erza taught us what we know!" Natsu smirked.

He held his hand out flat by his side, a sword similar to Erza's Heaven's Wheel Armour attack appearing in his hand. "I gotta admit. I ain't comfortable with swords but if it's the only thing we can beat it guess I have no choice." He sighed, pointing the sword at Gray. Harry looked at the sword Natsu had, confused. "Where'd you get the sword? I thought Professor Scarlett said we weren't ready for real ones yet!" Harry asked. "Swiped it when she wasn't looking." Natsu smirked.

Harry gave a little bit of a smirk. "She's going to kill you when she finds out." He said. "Well I'm dead either way." He smirked. "Now let's defeat this thing and get Gray and the others back!" Natsu yelled.

The basilisk struck Natsu first, forcing Natsu to block with the sword. "NATSU!" Harry yelled, but Gray ran up to him and kicked him over. Harry gasped, as Gray was in mid flight, about to jump on him. Harry managed to roll away in time. And good thing he did, as when Gray landed, the ground beneath him cracked. Harry scuttled up, panting at the sight. Gray stood up, a dark look on his face. His eyes flashed red as he looked at Harry, a sickly smile forming on his lips. Harry gulped and readied himself.

Meanwhile, Natsu was blocking blow after blow from the basilisk. He tisked as he was being forced back due to its size and attacks. The basilisk hissed and went for a nose dive. Natsu jumped as it hit the ground, landing on its back. He ran up the foul thing, trying to slice it with the sword. But the scales were too tough. He tisked once more and jumped up. He looked at Harry, who had his back turned on Natsu.

"Fire Dragon… WINGED ATTACK!" Natsu chanted in his mind, his hands igniting with flame whips. He struck the beast, but its scales was like its perfect defence system. He tisked and landed back down. He looked at Harry again, who seemed like he didn't notice a thing. Which was good.

"Ugh!" Harry grunted, rolling over to Natsu. "What's wrong?! I thought you were The-Boy-Who-Lived! Surely you can do better than that!" Gray taunted, spreading his arms in a mocking tone, as the head of the basilisk slid over Gray's shoulder. "Gray enough! This is getting out of hand and you know it!" Natsu yelled, swinging his arm down. Gray only laughed at his attempt, Natsu growling in annoyance.

"Natsu, we have to hurry! If we don't Ginny will die and Voldemort will return!" Harry pleaded, holding up the sword. Natsu growled at the information, giving Gray and the basilisk a dirty look. "We have to find a weak spot on that thing! The scales are as hard as iron! It's impossible to pierce!" Natsu said in a panic, gesturing towards the basilisk.

Gray gave a smirk, when all of a sudden, he felt a strong pulse within him. He held his head in confusion and pain, doubling over. Natsu and Gray looked at him in shock and worry. "Gray?!" Natsu gasped. Gray lifted his head up, his face sweating bullets.

"Natsu…." He gasped. He lifted his finger into his mouth, and pressed it against his roof. Harry's eyes widened in realisation. Gray gave a final scream, and bended over again panting. He slithered back up, before giving Harry and Natsu a look of murder with his bloodshot eyes.

"That's it! Natsu! When the basilisk opens its mouth, strike!" Harry yelled, still looking at the basilisk. Natsu, confused, just agreed to it and readied his sword along with Harry. "KILL THEM!" Gray shouted, excitement in his voice and stretched his arm to Harry and Natsu. The basilisk forced itself at its maximum speed, its jaw open for the kill.

Harry and Natsu stood their ground, waiting…. waiting… waiting….

"NOW!" Harry screamed. The boys yelled as they thrusted their swords through the basilisk's roof of its mouth. The basilisk, shocked, began to scream and shake its head from side to side. Harry and Natsu were taken for the ride, Harry feeling like something sharp sliced his arm. He yelped in pain, holding his arm, but managed to pull out his weapon and jump down in time with Natsu, before the basilisk began banging its head against the walls, before sliding back out into the main area.

The boys could hear the creature scream and splash, before it went silent. Harry dropped his sword, while Natsu sent the sword back into his pocket dimension. Harry looked down at his arm, a tooth stuck in. He pulled it out, feeling dizzy, but he had to move. "Ginny…" He muttered, running towards where she was. Gray, now angry, slid in front of him blocking the exit. He began to pull out his wand to cast a spell, but a figure ran towards Gray and pinned him down. Harry stopped to look at what happened. Natsu had pinned Gray down to let Harry through.

"Go save Ginny! I can handle Gray!" Natsu declared. "GET OFF ME!" Gray screamed, wiggling to try get out of Natsu's grasp. "GET GOING!" Natsu yelled. Harry nodded and ran off, stumbling along the way. Gray managed to hit Natsu in the face with the back of his head, Natsu flying off him. Gray stood up, Natsu rubbing his nose as he stood up as well. Gray gave a deadly snare at his long term rival, Natsu giving the same look.

Gray's finger twitched, and in a flash, he whipped out his wand and pointed it at Natsu. "IMMOBULUS!" Gray yelled. Natsu's body began to stiffen, as if he was freezing. Suddenly, his body couldn't move. He could only blink. Gray snickered and walked over to his rival. "You know I could have done this from the very beginning…. But what would be the fun in that…?" He sneered, tapping his wand on Natsu's nose. "I guess we finally found out who is the strongest." He provoked, backing away a bit, before pointing his wand at Natsu's chest. "And now… this is the end…" He said, softly.

By the time Harry reached Ginny, he was crawling with only his arms. "It's amazing isn't it? How quickly the venom of the basilisk penetrates the body." Harry looked at the tooth he was still holding, then back at Tom. "I guess you have a little more than a minute to live. You'll be with your dear Mudblood mother soon Harry." Harry could slowly feel his head pounding and emptying at the same time. He looked at Ginny and grabbed her hand.

"Funny." Tom scoffed. "How much damage one silly little book can do. Especially in the hands of a silly. Little. Girl!" He spat. Harry looked at the diary, and pulled it out of Ginny's hands and opened it. "What are you doing?" Tom asked. Harry looked at the tooth, and looked at Tom, the tooth over the diary.

"Avada…" Gray chanted, a sickly green glow coming from the tip of his wand.

"No stop!" Tom yelled, trying to get to the diary. But it was too late. Harry pierced the diary with all his might. Ink spilled out from the book like blood. It squirted everywhere as if it were a blood vein. Tom stepped back, a golden glow coming from his stomach.

"Keda-" Gray gasped, another pulse came from Gray's chest. He dropped his wand and kneeled. His hands were at his throat, as if he were struggling to breath. His gasps became hoarse and thin, like something was trying to get out.

Harry gave the diary another pierce. And another and another, and another. Tom screamed as holes of gold tore through his image. He held onto his face, screaming in pain. Harry closed the book and gave it one final stab, before Tom Marvolo Riddle burst into particles of light and fizzled away.

Gray looked at the ceiling, taking a deep breath in. As he breathed out, a black cloud escaped his mouth and eyes. As it floated away, it disappeared into black particles. Gray's eyes rolled back, and he landed on the ground face first. Natsu didn't know how to react. He could then feel his finger twitching, then his whole body was free. He flopped to the ground in exhaustion, panting.

Gray's eyes snapped open, coughing and gagging. "Gray!" Natsu cried and stumbled over to him. He held Gray up by the shoulder, shaking him a bit. "Gray are you alright?" He asked. Gray looked up with a groan. His eyes were tired, his body a bit thin. "Natsu… did you do it…?" He asked. "Yeah we did." Natsu nodded. Gray smiled and gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "I knew you could do it." He praised.

"Lucy!" Natsu realised, and stood up to run to Lucy. "Wait, what about Lucy?" Gray asked, standing up. He then winced and held his rib. "Gray!" Natsu yelled, and caught him, just as he was about to fall. "T-Thanks Natsu…" Gray winced. "Don't mention it." Natsu smiled, carrying him out.

When the boys immerged, they saw an awake Ginny and Harry around Lucy. Gray gasped, calling her name out, and limped towards his injured team mate. "Lucy…" He cried, shaking her shoulders. Ginny turned around, seeing Natsu run up to her as well. "Natsu, we didn't mean to put her in danger… Tom was controlling us!" Ginny defended. "Don't worry, I know it's not your fault." Natsu said calmly, looking at Lucy. "Hey, why's Fawkes crying on her?" Natsu asked, pointing at the bird. "Fawkes has healing powers in his tears. He healed my wound from the basilisk. But it's not effective enough." Harry explained. Natsu tisked, and looked down. Gray looked down as well, gritting his teeth and hands were clenched. How could he let this happen? To his own teammate?

"Natsu…?" A soft voice groaned from below. Everyone looked down, and exclaimed their relief. "Lucy!" Everyone yelled in happiness. "Is it…. Over…?" She gasped. Natsu smiled and held her hand. "Yeah. It's over. It's just a memory." He smiled. She smiled, her pure white teeth showing. "Thank goodness…." She said, a tear rolling down her face, and closed her eyes, finally at peace.

"This is incredible! Almost like magic!" Lockhart exclaimed happily as Fawkes lifted him, Harry, Ron, and Ginny, while Happy carried Gray first, Natsu and Lucy waiting at the bottom. They finally saw the moonlight, and they were finally out of the Chamber. The teachers waiting gathered round the missing students. "Gray, oh thank goodness!" Mira exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. All the fairies gathered around Gray, hugging him with tears and relief that he was alright. Although he was a little underweight at least he was alive. "Ginny are you alright?" Minerva asked in calmness and relief, cupping her face in her hands. Ginny nodded, although a little shaken. Minerva sighed and turned to the school nurse. "Take them all to the infirmary. Make sure there are no more anomalies in them." Minerva ordered.

Pomfrey nodded and gently ushered the injured into the castle for examination. Except for Harry who was stopped for questioning.

"So what happened down there? Where's Natsu?" Erza asked, the other teachers standing behind her. Harry looked down in dismay. "Well…" He started. "I'm right here." A voice called from behind Harry. Everyone looked at the person behind him. They all gasped in horror, their eyes losing their shine. There stood Natsu, and in his arms was Lucy. Thin and weak.

"Lucy…." Mira gasped. "What happened to her?!" Levy cried, hands to her mouth. "We need to give her immediate treatment, stat!" Wendy declared. Erza walked up to Natsu and took Lucy in her arms. "We'll put her under care immediately!" Erza said, heading towards the castle. Natsu looked at Lucy one last time, before being blocked by the teachers, their questions fuzzy to Natsu's ears.

"Lucy…."


	49. United We Stand

Gray sat alone in his bed, thinking about the events of last night. His head was bandaged, and his cheek with a patch. He stared at his hand, and closed it, his bandaged wrist hurting once it was tense.

"Looks like you're up and about."

Gray looked up and to his left, seeing Gajeel moving the curtain that divided his bed from the next. "Gajeel…" He muttered. Gajeel gave a smile and slammed down on the seat next to Gray. "How you feeling?" He asked. Gray shrugged. "Well my brain's still hurting and it's still hard to breath, but at least I'm in control of my own body again." Gray smiled, as he looked back at his hand, opening and closing it again. "Well that's good." Gajeel smiled, Gray looking at him and smiled. "What about Ginny?" Gray asked. "She was released with only a few bumps and scratches." Gajeel told him. "And the others?" Gray asked again. "Ron, Harry and Natsu paid a trip to the principal's office, and Lockhart remembers nothing. But they're ok." Gajeel replied with a smile. Gray nodded and smiled. "So, do you remember anything that happened?" He asked, arms folded. Gray went silent, and looked back down. "I…. don't remember much…. I just remember making rounds, then punching something…. Then it all went black…" Gray admitted.

Gajeel hummed and looked up, leaning back on his chair. "You know Lucy was worried about you. Since you passed yourself as a Muggle born she thought you were caught." Gajeel told him. "Lucy…? How is she? Is she ok?" Gray asked. "She's better, but she's still unconscious." Gajeel told him. Gray looked down, his fist clasping his bedsheets. "Wendy is healing her right now. She'll be fine." Gajeel reassured. Gray sighed with relief, knowing at least she was ok. "She's resting right now. Wendy said she should be fine in a few days." Gray flicked off his sheets and stood up. "Hey hey hey, should you be walking? I mean you went head to head with Natsu." Gajeel exclaimed, standing up. "I'll be fine." Gray reassured, smiling at Gajeel and moved slowly to Lucy's room.

Natsu sat next to Lucy, watching her rest. Her face looked so peaceful, but so troubled at the same time. Her face wasn't hollow anymore, but her cheeks were still a little sunken in. "She's the only person who's ever made me feel something I've never felt before!" Natsu stayed silent and began to move her hair out of her face. He began to think about what he said. He saw Lucy as a friend, a comrade. So why did he say that?

"Hey, how's Luce?" Natsu turned around, and saw Gray entering the room. "She's better." Natsu replied. Gray nodded and walked around the bed, sitting opposite of Natsu. "So I heard you went to Dumbledore's office." Gray said, starting up a conversation. "Yeah.. He said he wants to give us special awards for school service. He also asked what happened in the Chamber." Natsu said. "Speaking of which…." Gray dug into his pocket and pulled out a key ring with silver and gold keys. "Found these in my pocket. I think this rightfully belongs to Lucy." Gray smiled and softly placed the keys next to Lucy's head. Natsu gave a smile, and a slight nod. "She'll be relieved when she wakes." Natsu smiled.

"Hey Natsu…." Natsu looked at Gray with a hum. "I'm sorry at what happened. I wasn't myself." Natsu looked at him, before giving a smile. "Don't worry about it. Voldemort was controlling you. I'm sure Lucy understands." Natsu said calmly, looking back at Lucy. "But we're grateful to have you back." Natsu said, giving a smile. "Yeah. Great to be back." Gray smiled back. "Now we know that Voldemort will do anything to come back. So we'll have to be careful from now on." Natsu noted, Gray nodding in agreement. Natsu looked at Gray and extended his hand. "And no matter what happens, we'll always look out for one another." Gray blinked, then smiled, grasping Natsu's hand.

A third hand softly placed on top of the boy's hands. The boys looked down in shock. Lucy was awake, just barely, smiling softly. "Yeah…. No matter what happens, we will always have each others backs…." She whispered with a smile. "Lucy!" The boys cried, rushing into a hug. Even though it was a bit rough, she accepted it. She looked at Gray, her smile still there. "Thank you for returning my keys…." She said to Gray. "Oh Luce!" Natsu dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "Here. Since your old one was destroyed, Dumbledore gave me a new one to give to you." He smiled. Lucy smiled back and accepted the ring. "Thank you Natsu…" She praised and slipped the ring on.

The door to Lucy's private room opened in a rush. Everyone in the guild ran in, Wendy first to appear. She stopped, seeing a fully awake Lucy sitting up straight, smiling at her. Wendy began to cry and jumped into a hug. "LUUUUUCYYYYY!" She cried. Lucy gave a smile, accepting Wendy's hug. One by one, her team mates poured in, happy to see her awake. Happy cried in her arms, Charla sitting on her lap. Lily stood up next to her, folding his arms as he smiled. The fairies posing as teachers gathered around her, one by one giving her a hug.

"Thank goodness you're ok Lu!" Levy gasped as she gave her friend a hug. "We were so worried. You looked so sick when Natsu brought you out." Erza informed her. "What happened down there?" Mira asked. "Well… all I remember is waking up… and then my body was in pain…. I felt electrocutions and pain in every part of my body… and it was like that for ten hours. It almost felt like something was being sucked out of my body." She admitted. "Then they took away my wand and ring and broke it. My keyes were taken away as well…" She said, as she cradled her keys in her hands. "And then Natsu and Harry came in." She finished, looking at Natsu.

"Well, it's all over now child. Rest well, and join us in the feast tonight. It is the last school day after all." Makarov smiled. "Yes, I'm sure everyone would like to see you three." Erza smiled, looking at Natsu, Gray and Lucy. "Really? After everything that happened?" Natsu asked, looking at Erza. "Of course. Both of your suspensions are lifted. And Lucy, you might feel better after having a bite to eat and a walk around." Lucy looked down, not sure. "You don't have to if you don't want to Lucy." Wendy said, leaning towards Lucy.

Lucy shook her head and smiled. "No it's ok. Maybe walking around will make me feel better." She smiled. Everyone smiled, and made their way out. "We'll get out of your hair, let you rest a bit." Mira smiled. "We'll see you down there." Gajeel smiled, walking out. Lucy smiled. "Yep. Oh Natsu, can you stay behind for a bit?" Lucy asked. "Huh? Oh yeah sure." Natsu agreed, staying behind. The door closed behind him, and Lucy looked down at her keys.

"I just wanted to say thank you." She said. "You kept my promise. You brought them back." She smiled, looking at Natsu. Natsu blinked and gave a smile. "Of course Lucy. We're a team. Like you said, we have each others back." He said simply. Lucy smiled and looked down. "I'm… going to rest for a bit. I'll be down in the feast." She smiled once more. "Sure. See you soon." Natsu smiled, and left. Lucy looked at her keys and hugged them.

She sighed and opened the window and closed her eyes, breathing in that fresh air.

"Mister Malfoy."

She opened her eyes, wondering where the call was coming from.

"Mister Malfoy!" She looked around, until she saw Harry run up to who looked to be Lucius. "I believe this is yours." He said, stuffing a book into his hand. "Mine? I don't know what you're talking about!" Lucius scoffed. "I think you do sir. I think you slipped the diary int Ginny Weasley's cauldron. That day at Diagon Alley?" Lucius gave a shocked look. Lucy silently gasped, remembering Lucius picked up Ginny's book and putting it back… he must've swapped it there and then. "You do, do you?" He gritted, snapping the book over to the elf, who slowly took it.

He stepped closer to Harry and leaned down. "Why don't you prove it?" He whispered hatefully. Harry said nothing. Lucios gave a slight scoff and turned around. "Come Dobby…" He commanded. Lucy saw Harry whisper something to Dobby. Dobby then opened the book and held up a sock. "Dobby!" Lucius called out. "Dobby has presented Dobby with a sock! Dobby is free!" The elf exclaimed. "I didn't gi-" Lucios gritted, turning around. He then looked at Harry, who lifted his pants, twisting his ankle around. "You lost me my SERVANT!" Lucius yelled, snapping his wand out. He marched over to Harry. "Harry!" Lucy thought, holding out her keys. "Avada…" Dobby held out his hand, blasting away his former master. "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" The elf proclaimed. Lucios stood up and sneered at Harry. "Your parents were meddlesome fools too…" He pointed at Harry his face twisted in anger. "Mark my words Potter. One day soon… you are going to meet the same. Sticky. End." And with that Lucios marched away.

Lucy sighed relief and slid back down in her bed. "Thank goodness…" She muttered. She looked out the window again, thinking. Now she knows there was something dark and sinister with the Malfoys. But for now she didn't worry about it. It had a long day.

Later that night, everyone gathered in the Grand Hall ready for the End of Year Feast. Harry and Ron sat at their table, waiting for Hermione to come, as all the students petrified were finally free. Hermione walked into the hall and gave a big sigh. She saw Ron and Harry talking with Neville. She felt a wind of excitement and relief.

"Harry look! It's Hermione!" Neville exclaimed, pointing at Hermione. Ron and Harry leaned back, and smiled at Hermione. She began to run down the hall to her friends. Harry and Ron stood up and ran towards her. When she reached them, she then she gave harry the biggest hug. She let go of Harry and reached for Ron, but then stopped herself, the two of them feeling a bit awkward. "Uh… welcome back Hermione." Ron welcomed, extending his hand to Hermione. "Glad to be back." She smiled, shaking his hand. "I can't believe you guys solved it!" She exclaimed, looking at them. "Well we had loads of help from you. We couldn't have done it without you." Harry praised. "Thanks." Hermione smiled.

A cling from a cup came from the front. "Children, please take a seat." Dumbledore said calmly.

The three took their seats, but then something caught Harry's eye. "Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, looking to where Harry was looking. There stood Gajeel, a thin looking Lucy, and a beaten up Natsu and Gray. Everyone looked at the door, all silent. Gray took a deep breath and walked down the hall. Everyone watched as he walked down. He stood next to Dumbledore, who was standing on the podium. Once he was there, Natsu followed behind, eyes on him as well. He stood next to Dumbledore on the other side.

"Mister Dragneel and Mister Fullbuster are no longer suspended, and will be joining us next year. " Dumbledore proclaimed. Draco wasn't exactly happy, but he decided to hold his tongue for now. "And I understand there is something they wish to say?" Albus asked, looking at them both. Both of them kneeled and placed their heads and hands in front of them.

"WE'RE SORRY!" They yelled in front of the hall. "We didn't mean to cause any troubles." Natsu said. "We weren't ourselves." Gray said. "I hope you can forgive us!" They said in sync.

Silence in the hall.

Susan and Ernie stood up and walked up to Gray and Natsu respectively. They stood in front of them, both of them looking up. Susan sighed in relief and hugged Gray. "We were so worried. Of course we forgive you!" She cried, helping Gray up. "And you were right. I shouldn't have judge so quickly. I deserved that knock to the head. Friends?" Ernie asked, extending his hand. Natsu smiled and took it. "Friends." He smiled, and took his hand. Everyone cheered and gathered around the two students, welcoming them back. Gray and Natsu took their seats, everyone hugging them and patting them on the back. Lucy and Gajeel took their seats as well, looking at the front.

"Now before we begin the feast, let's give a round of applause to Professor Wendy Marvel, Madam Poppy Pomfrey, and Professor Pomona Sprout for taking care of our students and whose Mandrake juice has been so successfully administered to all who had been petrified." Everyone gave a round of applause, except for Draco and his gang, who were still a bit annoyed. "Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled!"

All the children cheered for the treat. But Hermione was a little bummed that she couldn't do exam. Dumbledore sat back down, smiling. The doors opened again, revealing Hagrid. Everyone stopped and stared at him in surprise. "Sorry I'm late." He started, and walked in. "The owl that delivered my release papers got lost and confused. Some ruddy bird called Errol." Ron's eyes widened in embarrassment, and sunk down into his chair. Everyone giggled and gave him looks.

Hagrid stopped at Harry and his friends. "I would just like to say that without you, Ron, Hermione, and Natsu, I would still be you know where. Thank you." Hagrid smiled. Harry looked at his friends who looked back at him. Harry stood up and smiled. "There's no Hogwarts without you Hagrid." Harry smiled and gave him a hug. As he let go, everyone stood up and clapped at his return.

The next morning, everyone boarded the train bound for London. Lucy sighed and leaned her head against the seat, rolling her head towards the window. "Hey, you okay?" Natsu asked, coming in. "Yeah I'm fine." She smiled. Natsu grinned and sat beside her. "If you are feeling odd, you can always rely on us." Natsu said calmly. Lucy smiled and nodded. "Of course." She smiled. The door slid open, Gray and Gajeel smiling and walking in and sitting across her. Finally, their team was together again.

Lucy smiled and looked at her keys, and grasped them tightly. She gave them a hug, and looked out the window, feeling that the fight wasn't over just yet. She couldn't shake the feeling…

That the worst was yet to come.

 **Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed the second instalment! I am going to take a break for Christmas vacation. But don't worry, I'm not done yet! I will see you all soon!**


	50. Never Alone

**Hello everyone! With Christmas and New Year out of the way, it is time to get back into the story! I hope I will be able to hold true as close as possible as I did with the other two, but I think this will be as great as The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets.**

 **Let's get this show on the road! Without further ado, LET'S DO THIS!**

Lucy leaned over the banister at the Leaky Cauldron, watching the customers chat and eat, come and go. She noticed a man put something on a wooden column downstairs. She tilted her head, wondering what it was. As the man pulled away, she saw a moving picture of a man screaming and holding up a sign with numbers and letters. She gave a hum, her mind having a slight idea of what that was. She heard that a dangerous prisoner had escaped, so they were most likely wanted posters.

"Hey Lucy." Lucy looked to her side, Natsu walking up to her. He wore a black shirt with denim jeans, complete with white shoes. "Hey Natsu." Lucy smiled, giving Happy a small wave. He stopped next to Lucy and faced over the banister. "Maaan it's so crazy how fast summer flies." Natsu stretched, and looked at Lucy with a smile. "I know. I barely had any time to finish Pride and Prejudice…" Lucy sighed, taking out her book and staring at the cover. "Woah that is a thick book! What's it about?" Natsu asked, leaning on the wood of the banister. "H-Huh? Why are you interested? You hate reading…" Lucy asked, a bit confused. "Come to think of it, you've been awfully close to me since the night of the chamber."

"Oh! Well, uh, I mean…" Natsu rubbed the back of his head, his face a little red. "It's just that if I'm your fiance and all… then I should start taking an interest in what you do… otherwise people will get suspicious of us." Natsu explained. Lucy's mind ticked a bit. "What do you mean by "start"?" She asked, gritting her teeth a bit. She sighed and gave a smile as she looked back.

"It's about a woman named Elizabeth Bennet who always judges on appearances. Then one day a man named Mr Darcy comes into her life. He's rude for someone of his standard and class, but they both learn through each other that there is more to them that meets the eye." Lucy explained, then looked at Natsu, who looked hollow. "Uh s-sounds interesting." Natsu complemented with a forced smile.

"What the hell is that face?" Lucy sweat dropped. She gave a laugh and wiped her closed eye. "Well, I don't expect you to take an interest…. But still, thank you." She smiled, looking down. "Hey, how about this? On our next holidays, how about we take a day to know each other's interests?" Lucy suggested. Natsu gave a goofy grin. "Sure! Sounds like a date!" Natsu grinned. Lucy's face flushed, her hair standing on edge. "D-Date….?" Lucy repeated.

"You looove him." Happy smirked. Both Lucy and Natsu felt a ping in their chests when Happy popped and said those three words. "S-Shut up you stupid cat!" Lucy snapped, blushing a tinge. "But he's your fiance. Why wouldn't you looooove him?" Happy teased a bit more, his tail wriggling mischievously. "I WILL KICK YOU TO THE CURB YOU STUPID CAT!" Lucy basically yelled. Everyone at the pub suddenly fell silent, wondering where the yell came from. They all then shook their heads and went back to their business. "Ugh, why…?" Lucy groaned, face palming.

"Hey guys." A male voice called below them. Lucy and Natsu leaned over, and saw Gray sporting a beige jumper and jeans with black shoes giving a friendly salute, Gajeel wearing a leather jacket and chained jeans with boots and Pantherlily next to them with their arms folded as they smiled. "Hey guys!" Lucy beamed and gave a large wave. "Yo! You're looking better Gray." Natsu complimented. Gray gave a smirk and flexed an arm. "Yep! I feel like my old self again." Gray grinned, everyone smiling. "Welp, shall we get going to get our books?" Gajeel asked, looking up. "Yes sir!" Everyone agreed.

"By the way, we saw the strangest thing making our way here." Gray blurted out as the four students and two exceeds made their way through Diagon Alley. "Oh? What was it?" Natsu asked, his hands supporting his head and tilted his head toward Gray. "We saw what Lily said was a balloon like human. She was screaming so loud we could hear her from the ground." Gray snickered.

"Well anyway, we took her to the Ministry of Magic and they took it from there." Gray reassured. "But we had to clamp her mouth shut. She was so whiny!" Gajeel complained. Lily nodded in agreement. "Eh… That does sound strange." Lucy agreed with a weird smile.

"Anyway, what books do we need this year?" Natsu asked, looking around the shops. Gray gave a sigh and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "The Standard Book of Spells Grade Three, Intermediate Transfiguration, and The Essencial Defence Against the Dark Arts." Gray then turned the paper over and scratched his head.

Uh…. Lucy Numerology and Grammatica, Spellman's Syllabus, and Unfogging the Future. Natsu, The Monster Book of Monsters, and Unfogging the Future. Gajeel, nothing. And for me, Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles and Spellman's Syllabus." Gray finished and put away the paper.

"Right, so let's search for the main books, then we'll separate to find our own books." Lucy suggested. "Sounds like a good plan." Gray agreed. The four of them wandered back into the book shop and got their main books. Since Gajeel didn't have anything else, he, Happy, and Lily decided to help carry the books back to the apartments. Gray separated from Natsu and Lucy to get their books, all of them agreeing to meet up at the Leaky Cauldron when they got what they need it.

"Thank you very much!" Lucy thanked as she and Natsu left the book shop. She took her text books from her bag and looked her three new books. She turned and smiled at Natsu, who grinned back with his new book too. "Man that was expensive…" Natsu sighed. "Welp. Anyway we just need one more book for you." Lucy sighed. "I think they said the store is down here…" Natsu pointed right and both of them turned to where she pointed.

Both of them turned down into the dark seedy alleyway. Sickly and dark people leaned on the walls. Lucy looked around, unsure of this. She noticed some shady people watching their move, and stood up, as if they were going to follow them. "N-Natsu are you sure it's down here? It feels too... dark for a book for students…." Lucy said, a bit squeamish. Natsu stopped and hummed. "Yeah…. Come on let's go back. Maybe it was left."

As the two turned around, they saw people dressed in sooted blacks block their exit. Natsu and Lucy turned back around, but saw there were more people blocking their way. Soon, they were surrounded. "Well well well, what is this beautiful lady and this little boy doing in Knockturn Alley?" A dirty man asked, and grabbed Lucy's right wrist and held it close to his face, while his other hand put her arm in an arm bar behind her back.

"L-Let go of me!" Lucy demanded. "Hey! Let go of Lucy!" Natsu yelled. The man chuckled and took a deep breath from Lucy's neck. She could feel her skin crawl. " _Creepy!"_ She thought. "I said let go of her!" Natsu yelled and punched the man in the face. The man flew back, and stood up, holding his cheek. As he stood up, Natsu drew his wand and pointed it at Lucy's assaulter. The man jolted back with a nervous squee. "Listen. We're much stronger than we seem! So I suggest you let us pass!" Natsu demanded.

There was silence in the alley. A woman screamed and ran at Lucy, trying to attack her from behind. But this time she was ready. She kicked the lady in the side of the torso as the woman tried to leap on her. The woman gasped in pain, as she flew across the alley, her back hitting against an old brick wall. She slid down unconscious, her comrades watching with fear. Lucy turned back, and looked at the man who attacked her. He was shaking with fear.

"I suggest you let us pass. Unless you want a good butt kicking." Natsu growled. The man and his accomplices looked at each other, as they all felt something erupting from these two. Unlimited fire and power… magic of which he never sensed! The man backed down, he and his lackeys moving away to make room for the duo. Natsu took Lucy's hand, without looking away from the man, and lead her out of the danger. When they got to the exit, Natsu turned back around to the misfits.

"Oh yeah, and one more thing!" Natsu yelled. He grabbed Lucy's shoulder and pulled her close to his chest. "E-Eh?" She muttered. "Mess with my fiance again, and you're dead!" He declared. Lucy's face became red and hot. 'E-Eh…?!" She slipped. Natsu then left with Lucy. His arm around her shoulder.

Once they left the alley, Natsu took his arm off her shoulder and sighed relief. They stopped at the side. "You alright Lucy? Did he hurt you in any way?" Natsu asked Lucy, grabbing her gently by the shoulders, and examined her body. "Oh yeah! Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" She stuttered. "Just took me by surprise is all…" Lucy whispered. "Ok, we won't go back down there, alright?" Natsu reassured, and gave her a warm hug. Lucy, a little bit shaken, hugged back and nodded.

"Thanks for saving me as well." Lucy smiled. "What? I didn't do much. In fact, you defend yourself quite well back there." Natsu denied. Lucy shook her head. "I was in a position where I couldn't do anything, and you freed me. Thank you for that." Lucy smiled again. Natsu smiled a toothy grin. "Of course! It's what comrades do." He said cheerfully.

"Right, let's go and get that book." Natsu smiled and rubbed Lucy's hair. "Come on." He continued walking, but then he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Hey, Natsu…. Back in the Alley…. You said, "Mess with my fiance or you're dead." Why did you say that? I-I mean it was just a lie to get Harry, Ron, and Hermione to stop asking questions. You didn't have to say that to them…. So why?" Lucy asked. Natsu stayed silent for a while, then turned to Lucy with a smile.

"Because you are." He simply said. Lucy's eyes widened from his response, and Natsu turned back around. He grabbed Lucy by the hand. "Once we commit to something, we pull through together. No matter what. Come on. Let's get going." He smiled, and walked down Diagon Alley with her, hand in hand.

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhh…" Natsu and Lucy stared at the furry book, buckled closed. "Uh….. so… this is the book?" Natsu confirmed, pointing at the book. "Yes it is sir." The clerk nodded. Lucy hummed, and her fingers lingered where the buckle was. "Oh! Don't… do that. Please." The clerk jumped, holding Lucy's hands back. "Eh? Why? It's a book, isn't it meant to be opened?" Lucy asked innocently. "Well…. Yes but you see… just don't open it in the store." The clerk said calmly. "Uh… ok then…." Lucy took her hand off the book. "Well, it's on the list, so you need it right?" Lucy asked her comrade. Natsu sighed and folded his arms. "We'll take it." Natsu confirmed. The clerk smiled and nodded.

"What's with this book? It feels so weird." Lucy asked herself, holding up the newly purchased book. "Beats me." Natsu sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "Oh! Honeydukes has a new sweet! Hey, I'm going to get some for Wendy!" Natsu beamed, and ran inside without a second thought. "Oi Natsu!" Lucy called out, but to no avail. She gave a sigh, and turned around, leaning against the store window.

She took out a book and began to read, only for her to instantly look up feeling as if she was being stared down. She gave a sharp jolt, meeting eyes with the person who was looking at her. "Your Highness…." He bowed sarcastically. Lucy gave a cold stare at the person as if putting up a mental wall. "Malfoy…" She nodded back.

He casually walked up to her, infiltrating her personal space. "I've been meaning to talk to you for awhile Heartfilia…." He said with a sneer. Lucy's eyes sharpened. "Oh, and what about Malfoy?" She asked with a harsh tone. "I just find it funny. How you are royalty, yet my father never talked about your family." Malfoy said with a smirk. Lucy's heart jolted at his words. "For royalty, you should be heavily aligned with the Ministry. But yet no one, even the public, know who you are. And yet no one has questioned it." Draco deducted.

He raised his hand and brushed Lucy's hair away from her face and cupped her chin. Her teeth gritted, trying to keep a poker face. "So tell me Heartfilia…" Draco tightened his grip, smushing her face and pulled her face close to his. "Why is that so? You better tell me now. I have connections to very important people you know…." He whispered. Lucy sharply breathed out, and loudly breathed back in again. "My family business is my family business Malfoy. This has nothing to do with you." Lucy said staley, her hand smacking his arm away with a calm composure. Malfoy tisked as he waved his hand and turned to his left. "Whatever Heartfilia. But just so you know, I'm going to get to the bottom of this." And with that Draco left, Lucy watching him disappear into the crowd.

Natsu came out of the building, an arm clasping a paper brown bag, another digging around inside. "Hey Lucy, I saw this sweet and it screamed you!" Natsu smiled and pulled out a big pink lollipop. "Here!" He smiled, handing it over to her. "Hm? Lucy, is something the matter?" He asked. He turned his head to where she was looking, but couldn't see anything unusual. "Oi Lucy. Did someone try to attack you again?" Natsu asked and looked back at her, a bit serious. "Eh? Oh, no! Not at all." Lucy comforted, waving her hands around. "You sure?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded. "Then why are you so spaced out?" Natsu asked. Lucy stayed silent for a while, then looked down.

"I was approached by Draco." Natsu became shocked, stepping back a bit. "What? What did he want?" Natsu asked. Lucy looked to the side, sighing out a bit. "He was questioning me about my family tree. He senses something off with me. Natsu… He's not far behind on our secrets. We have to be careful…." Lucy warned. Natsu gasped a bit, then tisked. "Damn that brat… Come on. Let's get back."

Natsu and Lucy entered the Leaky Cauldron with their books in hand. "Huh? Oh hey guys! Over here!" Gray waved, Gajeel next to him, legs on his table. "Natsu, Lucy. Welcome back." Lily smiled. "You have fun smooching?" Happy teased, his paws covering his mouth trying not to laugh. Lucy's eyes went dark, her dark aura looming over Happy. Happy immediately shut up and looked down, shaking from her gaze. "How was your book shopping?" Gray asked. "Well…." Lucy and Natsu rubbed the back of their heads, looking down.

"Eh?! You guys were attacked and confronted by Malfoy?!" Gray gasped, leaning forward on his chair. Lucy nodded. "Well, I know you guys would be alright with the fight, but what about Malfoy? We can't just erase his memories." Gajeel muttered, his arms folded. "There is actually." Natsu interrupted. "Obliviate. I saw Lockhart try to use it on us in the chamber. But it backfired and erased his own memory." He explained. "Also it's a basic spell. We learnt it in our first year, remember?" Lucy noted.

"Then that settles it. We'll just erased his memory." Gray shrugged. Lucy shook her head. "We'd have to erase everyone's memories then. Everyone thinks I'm royalty. He'll just figure it out again. Not to mention if his father finds out someone erased his memory, then he'll just launch an investigation of the school. We just need to lay low for a while." Lucy reasoned. Gray sighed and leaned back on his chair. "If that's the only way…" He sighed. "Why don't you just say you're not?" Gajeel asked. "I'm in way to deep now to back out. So no." Lucy said flat out. Gajeel sighed and leaned back again.

"Also…" Lucy pulled out the furry book and swung it around. "The weirdest thing happened when we were purchasing this book…"


	51. The Nightmare of Death

The next morning, Natsu slammed the the furry book down on the table. Everyone gathered around the book, humming in curiocity. "So they said not to open it?" Gray asked, looking at Lucy. She gave a nod, and put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to think. "But… it's a book. It's meant to be opened." Gray reasoned, a bit confused. "That's what I said!" Lucy blurted out. "Did she at least say why?" Lily asked, folding his arms, which the couple shook their heads at. "Why won't anyone just straight up tell us?" Gajeel sighed.

"Well, should we open it?" Natsu asked, looking at his team. Lucy hummed and groaned as she rubbed the back of her head. "I don't know… I mean, there are a ton of crazy things that happen in this world. This book could be one of them." Lucy reasoned. "Oh please, what can one book do to us?" Gajeel asked sarcastically. Everyone looked up, thinking.

"Maybe this." Gray thought, imagining the book with dragon wings and breathing fire. "Uh…." Lucy sweatdropped.

"How about this?" Gajeel asked, imagining the book to summon the beast the page was turned to. "I hope not!" Lucy yelled in fright.

"Or maybe perhaps…" Natsu imagined the book to evolve as a blue blob with balloon hair and thick pink lips. "This!" Natsu exclaimed. "NO WAY IN HELL!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Well, should we open it then?" Lily asked, still looking down at the book. "I don't see why not!" Happy exclaimed, putting his paw up.

"Hold it down, HOLD IT DOWN!" Lucy screamed, crawling up on the table. "We're trying!" Gray gritted, he, Natsu, and Lily -in battle mode- kneeled on the floor trying to hold the violent book down. The thing was wriggling violently, the boys could feel it jumping up and down a bit. "Gajeel! Now!" Gajeel sprinted, and managed to clamp both ends of the book. As the book tried to break free, Gajeel grabbed the buckle and end, and managed to belt the middle. Once it was strapped, the book stopped and went back to its original state. Everyone flopped down, exhausted of the book's mischief. "...I want out of this class…." Natsu painted.

 _BANG!_

 _BANG!_

 _BANG!_

"KEEP IT DOWN UP THERE!" A muffled voice from below called. "Ah! S-So sorry!" Lucy yelled back down.

Everyone sighed, hanging their heads down. Natsu looked out the window, then squinted his eyes at a grey dot as it flew closer and closer. As it came in, Natsu could see it was a grey owl. "Hey, an owl's coming towards us." Natsu pointed at the window, everyone following his finger. Everyone watched the owl fly in gracefully. Until he banged into the window. "Oooo…." Everyone winced.

Natsu strolled over and opened the window. The owl flew up and gave Natsu a note in his beak. He then looked at the bird, and immediately noticed the bird. "Hello Errol." Natsu smiled, giving the owl a friendly stroke. Errol stood there for a while, taking the stroke, until he flew off. "So I assume that's from Ron?" Lucy asked, getting off the table. Natsu hummed a yes as he opened up the letter and read it through. "Oh. He says that he and Hermione are at The Leaky Cauldron and want to know if they want to meet us there." Natsu explained, looking up.

"Is that so? Feels like we haven't seen him for ages." Lucy smiled. Gray gave a chuckle and rested his left arm on his propped up knee. "Well it has been three months of not catching up." He smiled. "You think he'd be ok with all of us being there?" Gajeel asked. "What do you mean? We all helped them to an extent. I'm sure they'll be fine with all of us there." Natsu smiled. "I like The Leaky Cauldron! They give us free fish!" Happy smiled, putting his paw up. Lily just gave Happy an embarrassed look.

"Alright, to The Leaky Cauldron we go!"

A bell chimed as Natsu opened the door with a big smile, everyone following behind him. "Hey everyo-"

"I'm warning you Hermione! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scavers, or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!"

Everyone stopped at the door, surprised at the sudden yell.

"It's a cat Ron. What do you expect?! It's in their nature!"

"A cat?! Is that what they told you?! Looks more like a pig with hair to me!"

"That's rich! Coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush! Ignore him Crookshanks. He's just a naughty little boy."

"U-Um…" Gray called out. Hermione and Ron looked at the entrance, and then a big smile erupted from their faces. "Hey guys!" Ron smiled, running over to the group. "Lucy!" Hermione smiled and ran up to Lucy giving her a tight hug. As she let go, she held onto Lucy's shoulders softly. "I heard what happened in the Chamber. Are you alright?" She asked in a low whisper. "Oh yeah I-" Lucy cut herself off and looked at her left hand. She could feel it shaking violently, and it was. She lifted her right arm and held her left wrist still, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled.

Hermione gave a small nod, then hugged Natsu. Ron gave Gajeel a handshake, and rubbed his own hair. "Uh…. thanks. For helping us last year." Ron muttered, not looking at Gajeel. Gajeel blinked a bit, then smiled as he rubbed Ron's hair. "Well this is rare. A Griffin thanking a Slytherin." Gajeel teased. Ron flung his hands to get Gajeel's hand away from him. "Geehee. Don't worry. I'm just teasing. I can't stand Malfoy. So anything to annoy him." Gajeel laughed.

"Guys!"

Everyone looked at the stairs and smiled brightly. "Harry!"

Harry smiled as he walked down. He walked towards the group and gave everyone a hug. "Everyone's here! Come on, let's go inside and get some food!" Ron beamed, leading the charge.

Lucy gave a soft smile as her friends walked into inn, smiling and laughing. As she took a step in, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and her eyes widened. "Loke…" She whispered. Loke was tucked out of sight from the inside, his finger on his lips. He then waved his hand for Lucy to follow him, which she did without a second thought. Natsu watched as Lucy silently slipped out, then turned his attention back to his friends and comrades with a smile.

The two walked for a while until they got a good distance away from the Inn. "The rumours of the dark shadows…" Lucy's head peaked up, wondering what Loke had to say. "We found them at the edge of the Spirit World. We don't know how they got in, but we found out that they've been hiding here for two years." Loke explained, adjusting his glasses. "Eh? Two years?" Lucy gasped. Loke nodded and folded his arms.

"We also found Aquarius, but she's been acting weird. She's been refusing to talk to anyone. Even Scorpio. So I don't know how she'll respond with a summon. I wonder if Yuno's spirits are experiencing the same thing…." Lucy smiled and sighed relief. " _Thank goodness she's alright…"_ Lucy looked at Loke with a smile. "Thank you so much Loke. You really are a good friend." She said with a tilt of her head. "It's no problem Lucy. You are our master after all." Loke smiled, pushing his glasses up. "You know I don't see it as that way." She smiled.

"Lucy, I have to ask…." Loke placed a gently placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders. "WHY DID YOU SAY YOU'RE MARRYING NATSU?!" Loke shouted, tightening his grip on Lucy's shoulder. "E-Excuse me?!" Lucy exclaimed, flinching back a bit. "Why do you want to marry that numbskull?! He's too violent for a delicate flower like you! You deserve a real gentleman worthy of protecting you! No way he would treat you right! Even Taurus is crying!" Loke then got into Lucy's face and brought his hands to his face as they twitched, his words stumbling out of his mouth as his lips fidgeted to speak.

"I mean it's true he's strong, but he's destroyed buildings and he's terrible with other people, so imagine the kids Lucy! The kids!" Loke panicked. "O-Okay Loke, you're getting a bit too serious about this…." Lucy backed away with a sweat drop. "And even on your honeymoon he would ruin it! He would probably ditch you for an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet! If it were me I would carry you to our suite, lay you down and-"

"Okay, back you go!" Lucy interrupted in annoyance. She swiped Loke's key in front of him, causing Loke to vanish in golden sparkles. She violently sighed, and began to comedically cry. "My spirits are crazy…" She whined. She gave another sigh and began to walk back to the Inn. When she opened the door, she saw all her friends at the table over talking about their Summer Vacations. She closed the door behind her and walked up to them.

"Egypt? What's it like?" Harry asked, leaning over the newspaper. " _Egypt?"_ The Fairy Tail boys thought, tilting their heads. "Oi, where's Egypt?" Natsu whispered to Gray over the table. "How should I know?" Gray gritted to him. "It's a country in Africa. Rich in history and mythology I hear." Lucy informed them as she sat next to Natsu. "Africa?" The boys repeated. "Forget it…" Lucy sighed.

"It's brilliant, loads of old stuff, like mummies, tombs, even Scavers enjoyed himself." Ron smiled, holding up his pet rat. "You know Egyptians used to worshiped cats." Hermione noted, giving her cat a stroke. "R-Really?!" Happy exclaimed, popping his head out of Natsu's arms. Even Lily's interest was peaked. "Yes. The Egyptians thought that cats were like the messengers of the Gods. They could even be seen as Gods themselves." Hermione explained.

"Mwahahaha! Hear that you measly mortals?! Fear your God!" Happy laughed maniacally. "Well, technically we were Gods until the incident in Edolas…." Lily muttered under his breath. "Yeah, along with dung beetles…" Ron countered. Happy then stopped laughing, then curled in the corner in with a miserable aura. Being compared to a dung beetle was a new low for him.

Everyone gave him and awkward smile, then heard a chuckle from upstairs. They all looked up, seeing Ron's entire family walking down. "Not flashing that clip around again are you Ron?" George sighed, taking a walking behind his baby brother. Ron sighed back, looking at his older brothers. "I haven't shown anyone." Ron said. "No, not a soul." Fred mimicked, snatching the paper away from Ron.

"Unless you count Tom…"

"The Day Maid."

"The Night Maid."

"The cook."

"The bloke who came to fix the toilet."

"And that wizard from Belgium." The twins finished, before talking their seats.

"Hello Harry." Harry turned around, smiling at who greeted him. "Hello Mrs Weasley." Harry greated, standing up to give her hug. "Hello Mrs Weasley." Lucy greeted, standing up too. "Oh Lucy dear! Nice to see you again! And please call me Molly." Molly smiled. "Oh, and lovely to see you boys you too." Molly opened her arms, hugging each and everyone from the boys. "How was your Summer?" Molly asked. "Very relaxing." Lucy smiled. "Oh I'm glad." Molly smiled. She then turned around, making sure no one was looking. Harry left with Arthur, everyone else doing their own things.

"Here." She handed Natsu a note, everyone else crowding around him to see the letter. "Dumbledore asked us to give that to you. He said not to open it until you get to Hogwarts." Natsu flipped the letter with a hum. "Yep. No worries." Natsu smiled, pocketing the letter. Molly smiled and walked away to say hello to Hermione.

As everyone began to sit down again, Natsu looked over at Harry and Arther having a chat. His ears twitched, listening in to the the conversation. "Harry I want you to swear to me whatever you might hear, you won't go looking for Black." Arthur whispered. "Mister Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?" Harry asked. Arthur gave a nod, and patted his arm before leaving. Natsu gave a hum, before turning away.

A train whistle blew as the train left. Everyone waved at those who were seeing them off. The four spies stood at the window, not bothering to wave. As they had no one here to see them off. "...Should we go take our seats?" Lucy asked, turning to their carriage. "Yeah." Gajeel agreed with a sigh. He suddenly collapsed, green in the face. "O-Oi. Gajeel?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Looks like flame brain's down too." Gray sighed, looking at Natsu, who had also collapsed due to the sickness.

"Come on, let's get them in." Lucy sighed, picking up Natsu, Gray picking up Gajeel. Lucy opened the door and put Natsu on the seat, Gray putting Gajeel next to him. Lucy then put a blanket over them to make them feel more comfortable and eye masks to help them rest. "Geez, these two are useless sometimes…." Gray sighed, taking a seat next to Lucy, who was next to the window. She gave a bit a chuckle, then looked down and opened her magazine.

Gray turned to the glass door, with a hum. "...Oi, looks like we have a stalker." Gray told Lucy, pointing to the door. "Huh?" Lucy questioned, looking at where Gray was pointing. She gasped with a jolt. Draco stared through the door at Lucy, then he moved on without a second thought. Lucy and Gray watched him leave with cold eyes until he was out of sight. "Damn that kid…." Gray gritted.

Thunder rolled as the rain poured. Lucy and Gray were fast asleep, joining Gajeel and Natsu. Lucy suddenly gasped herself awake, and panted. She looked outside the window, the clouds still dark. She sighed, about to lean back in her seat.

 _SKREEEEECH!_

"Ah!" Lucy screamed, flying forward a bit. Gray jolted forward, bumping into Gajeel. "Ow! What the hell ice boy?!" Gajeel screamed, flicking his eye mask off. "Eh? Why is it so dark?" Natsu sat up, looking around. "Eye mask Natsu." Gray told him. Natsu lifted his mask off, then looked outside the window. "Hey, why have we slowed down?" Natsu noted. "Oh we've slowed down! Thank God!" Natsu yelled in triumph and realisation.

"Eh?" Everyone gasped. Lucy ran to the door and opened it, looking around, other students doing the same thing. "What's going on?!" Lucy gasped. Suddenly the train halted to a stop, everyone flying back into their carriages. "Kya!" Lucy screamed, falling into her seat. "D-Did we break down or something?!" Gray yelled, putting his face and hands on the window. Natsu joined him, then flinched back. "Gwah! We're on a bridge!" He screamed.

"No way! Did something happen to the bridge?!" Lucy gasped. "O-Oi, there's something out there!" Gray pointed out. The lights suddenly went out, leaving everything in darkness. Everyone gasped, looking at the ceiling. The lights flickered in and out. Lucy breathed out, her breath physicalizing into fog. Her teeth began to chitter, her body shaking in coldness. "O-Oi, why is it so cold all of a sudden?" Lucy chittered. "Gray you bastard! Did you do this?!" Natsu yelled at Gray. "As if you idiot!" Gray yelled back.

 _Crack!_

Everyone looked at the window, and watched in shock as a thin ice wall spread across the window. "What the hell…?" Natsu gasped.

 _BANG!_

The train jolted again, as if someone or something heavy jumped on the train. Silence for a while. Then a low, airey whisper filled the carriage. "N-N-N-Natsu… I don't like this…!" Happy cried, hiding under the blanket. Lily tisked, holding onto his sword for habit. But did not transform yet. A ghostly dark shadow floated through the halls, as if looking for something. The ghost stopped outside their cabin, the frosted veil making it blurry to see what was on the other side. "Oh my gosh…" Lucy whispered. She never felt such fear before.

The ghast curled its fingers, the door slowly opening. Lucy scuttled back, here eyes widened with pure fear. The boys stood up, ready to take a fight if necessary. The door finally fully opened, revealing the creature for what it was.

Its hands were one of a decaying skeleton. Their body was covered in black rags floating up and around it. There were no legs, just him floating. The monster was tall and wide. It was like he was a grim reaper. The figure floated slightly inside, and looked around. Lucy couldn't stop shaking. Why? Why did she feel such fear? She looked at her commerads, their fists riled up, but by their sides. Lucy gasped as she took a closer look at their fists. " _They're… shaking too…."_ She gasped, then looked at the figure. " _No way…. Is that….?"_

The figure stayed there for a bit, then floated backwards. The door closed by itself as it exited, then floated down the hallway. Once it was gone, Natsu released his fists, and held his hand to his face. "W-What was that thing…..? Why did I feel so much fear…?!" Natsu gasped, his hand shaking. "Ugh!" Lucy gagged, her hand to her mouth. "O-Oi Lucy?! Are you alright?!" Gray asked, rushing to her side. Lucy gagged again, this time some fluid pouring out of her mouth.

"Get her to a bathroom or a bag or something!" Gray ordered, crouching beside Lucy. "O-On it!" Natsu ran to the window and tried opened it. He struggled a bit, as the ice was jamming the sliding window. "Hurry up Natsu!" Gray yelled, Lucy gagging over and over. "Just give me a sec!" Natsu gritted. "Um um um….Oh!" Natsu gasped. He placed his hand on the window, heating it up a bit. As soon as the ice melted, Natsu opened the window, ignoring the cold wind and rain rushing in. "Lucy! Over here!" Natsu called over. Gray helped her over to the window as she stumbled. Once she reached the window, she began to throw up non-stop, not caring about the rain or temperature. Gray and Natsu stood next to her, patting her on the back to help her get the toxins out from her body.

Gajeel tisked, knowing there was nothing for him to do. He opened the door, then looked around the hallway. There was no one there anymore. "What the…? It's gone…" Gajeel muttered. "Happy, you can come out. It's over." Lily coaxed him. "Really?" Happy asked, looking out from the blanket. "Gah!" Happy gasped, his jaw to the floor. "Yes. He wasn't even that scary…" Lily put his thumb up, but his eyes and body were shaking. "You're shaking all over!" Happy yelled.

"Lucy, do you feel better?" Natsu asked, he and Gray keeping their hands on Lucy's back. She stood up, but her back was hunched. She wiped her mouth, bags under her eyes. Her throat hurted, her body aching. "Y-Yeah…." She panted. "What the hell was that thing…?" Natsu gasped, looking at the door. "I've never felt such a fearful aura…." Gray muttered.

"...It was a Dementor…."

"Huh?" Everyone looked at Lucy, who still was facing the window. "A Dementor? What's that?" Gajeel asked, his back to the door and hands on his hips. "A Dementor… I read about them in the library….. "Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them... Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life."" Lucy quoted as she turned around, a hand on the window sill. "Or so the book said…"

"Wait, so this is a monster that can suck the soul and happiness out of you?!" Natsu yelled. Lucy nodded, then looked to the side and down. "Tsk. No wonder it had such an aura then…" Gray tisked. "I also read that they are stationed at a place. A place if where one goes, it is impossible to escape…. Hagrid was almost imprisoned there last year… And I think I know why they're here…." Lucy looked at them again. "They're looking for the man who first escaped that place for the first time…." The boys eyes opened wide, knowing where she was talking about.

"No way…" Gray gasped. "You mean they're….?!" Natsu yelled. Lucy nodded. "They're looking for him…" Lucy finished his thought, her voice wavering. She gulped, and opened her mouth to talk once more.

"The Prisoner of Azkaban."


	52. The Light's Shadows

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Something wicked this way comes!

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg and owlet's wing.

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Something wicked this way comes!

In the cauldron boil and bake,

Fillet of a fenny snake,

Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witches mummy, maw and gulf.

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble!

Something wicked this way comes!

Everyone in the hall applauded the choir as they took a bow and left the stage. As they did, Dumbledore stepped up to the podium, smiling and clapping.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now, I would like to say a few words…. Before we all become too befuddled by our our feast." Dumbledore began, looking over the students. "First, I am pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck professor!" Dumbledore proclaimed, as he swept his arm towards the new professor.

The man looked like he was in his mid thirties, and definitely had the dress style of a teacher. He had auburn hair, with a mustache and brown eyes. He gave a bow, and sat back down between Mira and Levy.

"Of course! That's why he knew to give you chocolate Harry!" Hermione said with a smile. "Wait, he gave you food?!" Natsu gawked. "Yeah, he was in our cabin." Ron explained. "Unfair…." Natsu pouted.

"Hey Potter!" The four Gryffindors turned around, and met Draco's grey cold eyes. "Is it true you fainted?" Draco asked, with a hint of snarkiness. The boy next to Draco put a fainting act on as he dramatically re-created the scene. Everyone at the Slytherin table snickered. "I mean, you actually fainted?" Draco laughed. "Shove off Malfoy…" Ron sneered back, turning Harry back around. The Slytherins laughed as they turned back around.

"Hey Harry, what do they mean by that?" Natsu asked, not understanding what Draco meant. "A Dementor entered our cabin and attacked Harry. It was weird… it was as if it was trying to suck something out of him…." Ron explained. "Eh?! Are you alright Harry?" Natsu asked, looking at Harry, who gave a simple nod, before they all turned back to the front.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures Teacher has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs." The Fairies faces turned a bit white, eyes bland with blue streaks coming down their faces. " _What does he mean by that?"_ They thought. "Fortunately, I am delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other, than our own Rubeus Hagrid." Dumbledore announced before turning to Hagrid.

Everyone applauded, Hagrid beaming as he looked at Mira and Wendy. "Go on, stand up. Professor." Mira encouraged with a nudge. Hagrid ohed in realisation as he stood up. As he did, the table bumped forward, almost causing the dishes to fall off. Everyone clapped, some even cheering, for the new teacher. "Finally on a more disquieting note…" Wendy tugged on Hagrid's sleeve, prompting Hagrid to hastily sit back down with a thud.

"At the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, will play host …" Dumbledore gave a silent sigh. "To the Dementors of Azkaban."

Lucy gasped, her stomach turning upside down. Her face turned white, and she began to shake a bit. She looked down, her eyes widened with fear, remembering the overwhelming disturbance she had encountered with this ghastly spirit. Everyone in the hall began to whisper in confusion at this information. "Until such a time as Sirius Black is captured."

"What? Those things…?!" Gray gasped. "The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution…" Everyone stayed quiet, and leaned forward a bit.

"Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt, and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and everyone of you…. To give them no reason to harm you." Dumbledore looked over his students, who were listening with caution. Especially the fairies in the room.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But you know… Happiness can be found. Even in the darkest of times…." Dumbledore waved his hand over a candle, the flame going out. "If one only remembers to turn on the light…" Dumbledore waved his hand over the same candle, the flame re-igniting. Lucy took a deep sigh, feeling a wave of relief over her. His words comforted her, and she smiled to herself softly. As long as her friends were with her, she had nothing to worry about.

"Now let us not dread, and let us begin the feast!" Dumbledore waved his hands, and the food appeared. "Alright! Thank you for the food!" Natsu cheered and begin to dig in without a second thought, Ron joining in. "You two are disgusting." Hermione sighed. Natsu just smiled, his food stuffing his cheeks.

"And my father has never even heard of her! I'm telling you, there's something here…." Draco complained, cutting into his bread. "Well, maybe her family's laying low." Gajeel shrugged. Draco looked up, squinting at Gajeel. "Why are you defending her Redfox? Are you hiding something from us?" Draco interrogated, pointing at him. Draco's goons looked at him, their eyes squinting at him too. "No, I'm just thinking out loud is all." Draco sighed, looking back at his food. "In any case, I'm going to defeat Potter this year, and Slytherin will be top once more." Draco said with a sneer. Gajeel sighed, and began to eat. He knew there was no point in talking to Malfoy. All he ever does is complain.

"So Lucy, how was your vacation?" Padma asked. "Oh, nothing much. Just lazed around." Lucy smiled. "Oh okay. What about you Cho?" Padma asked. "Oh, I went to Japan for my vacation." Cho smiled. "Japan?" Lucy asked. "Oh how was it?" Cho asked, tilting her head. "Beautiful. I loved the Sakura trees. Oh, also…" Cho dug through her pockets and pulled out two little fabric tags attached to strings. Lucy reached out with both hands, the little charm resting in her palms.

"Ganbare?" Lucy read out. "Good Luck. Once I saw it, I thought of you guys." Cho explained, smiling. Lucy stared at the charm, with wide eyes. She couldn't put her finger on why, but for some reason, it really reminded her of home… She smiled, and held the charm close to her chest. "Thank you so much Cho…." She smiled. "Let's have the best year ever!" Cho declared. "Yeah!" Padma and Lucy agreed.

"Hey Gray!" Gray hummed in question, as he looked to his left. Gray gave a smile as his senior and greeted him as Cedric took a seat next to him. "Oh, congratulations on getting Prefect last year as well." Gray grinned. "Thank you Gray. How are you feeling?" Cedric asked. "What do you mean?" Gray asked, tilting his head. "You had a few injuries when you came back. But looks like you're all healed." Cedric smiled. "Yeah, now that I think about it, you were injured weren't you… You had a couple of cuts and bandages on your face." Susan pointed out. "Oh that…. It's nothing. All in the past…" Gray reassured, before going back to his meal without another word.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Cedric, who smiled at him. "We're really glad you're back Gray. All of us were really worried about you." Cedric said warmly. Gray looked at Susan, Justin, Zach, and Ernie, who were smiling in agreement.

 _THUD!_

Everyone in the hall jumped, and turned attention to the noise. It was Natsu, standing up on the table, drink in hand. He gave a smile, standing like a hero. "HERE'S TO A GREAT NEW YEAR!" Natsu cheered, chucking his drink into the air, a bit of liquid spilling out. "CHEERS!" He yelled. Everyone giggled and smiled, holding their cups up. "CHEERS!" Everyone chimed, drinking their cups. Even the teachers joined in. Except Snape, Draco, and Draco's dumb goons, who found the behavior bizarre.

Once the feast was over, all the years, except the First Years, immediately rushed off to their Common Rooms. The Prefects stayed behind to lead the way. "Hufflepuffs this way!" Cedric guided, leading everyone downstairs. "Gryffindor's this way." Percy called out, the Gryffindor's walking opposite of Ravenclaw.

Natsu charged up the stairs before the stairs could move again. "La la la la la la la la!" Natsu could hear The Fat Lady doing her terrible warm ups, holding up a wine glass. He stopped outside the door, his face twitching and scrunching from the screeching sound. Semus stopped behind Natsu and gently pushed him aside. "Fortuna Major." He said. "Ah bup bup bup bup!" The lady interrupted, going back to her singing. Semus sighed and looked to the other Griffins coming up. "She's not letting me use the password." He explained, swishing to the side and leaned on the banister.

"Fortuna major!" Harry tried. "No no no wait wait! Watch this." The opera singer said, holding her palm up. "Ahem. Ah ah ah ah AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone, even the paintings around her, covered their ears as lady screamed at the top of her lungs. The lady looked at her audience, then back at the glass. Seeing as nothing was happening, she swiftly smashed the glass against a marble column behind her. She then gasped, holding up the broken glass. "Look! Amazing! And just with my voice!" She exclaimed, showing off the glass. "Yeah, if you mean by shattering our eardrums…." Natsu muttered, rubbing his ringing ears. "I heard that!" The Lady snapped, looking at Natsu who shrugged. A couple of students giggled, before Harry tried again.

"Fortuna Major!" He pleaded. "Yes yes alright. Go in." The Lady sighed, opening the door to the Common Room. "Thank you!" Harry said a bit aggressively as everyone entered. "She's been doing that for three years, and I still have ringing from the first time she tried that!" Natsu sighed to Neville and Harry. "I know right, she still can't sing!" Neville exclaimed. "Exactly!" Harry agreed.

"Ah, room sweet room!" Natsu beamed, bursting into the room and jumped onto his bed. Everyone smiled, and crowded around the window, next to Natsu. "Hey, I grabbed us some sweets for us. Dare to try them?" Semus shook a brown bag with a mischievous eye. Natsu swiftly sat up and gave Semus that same eye. "Bring them on…"

Half an hour later, everyone was laughing like they were mad. Semus picked up a candy piece and showed it to everyone. "Green, that's a monkey." Ron pointed out. Semus nodded and tossed it into his mouth. His body began to jump and fidget. He jumped up, screaming like a monkey. "What is that?!" Natsu laughed, pointing at Semus. "You call that a monkey?" Ron said with a laugh. Semus chittered and got into Harry's face, doing a monkey dance. He gave a cough and twitched back to normal. "Do not give him one again." Neville chuckled.

"Hey Neville! Try an elephant!" Natsu suggested, throwing him a grey sweet. Neville caught it and popped it into his mouth. His body jerked, and began to cough. But as he did, elephant sounds escaped his mouth. Everyone laughed as Neville tried to cough it out. Semus gave a sigh of happiness as he tossed Ron a red one. "Ron catch." He called out. "I will." Ron caught the sweet and swallowed it whole. His body changed positions and began to roar like a lion. "Woo Ron!" Natsu cheered. Natsu sighed from laughing too hard, and picked up two sweets, one brown, and one white.

"Hey, mind if I give these to someone?" Natsu asked with a sinister smile. "Ah, a pranking face! Go right ahead." Semus permitted, the same look on his face. Natsu nodded and pocketed them. "We should keep these two apart at all costs…" Ron whispered to Harry, who nodded. "Hey Natsu!" Neville threw a black one at Natsu, who caught it with no issue. He swallowed it, and opened his mouth. "Woof!" Natsu barked. He brought his hands to his chest and started panting like a dog. As everyone laughed, Natsu shook his head, and went back to normal.

Harry spotted a different sweet on the table and picked it up. "Oh Harry!" Semus gasped. "Is he really going to eat that?!" Neville chuckled. "Don't eat that!" Ron warned him. Harry swallowed it, then froze. His whole mouth felt like it was on fire. "Oh look at his face!" Semus chuckled. Steam erupted from from his ears. "Ooo, let me try that!" Natsu picked up the same candy and tossed it in. "Oi oi oi! You sure?!" Semus asked, a little too late. Natsu just chewed, but nothing happened to him. "Huh?! What?! How can you eat that?!" Ron gasped. "Tolerance." Natsu smiled back, a bit cheeky. "No way!" Everyone laughed, pushing him a bit. They all had a laugh and go at each other, not even realising that outside their window, Dementors were flying past.

Natsu couldn't sleep for some reason. He sighed as he tossed and turned in his bed. Usually around this time there would be a meeting, but due to the…. Unexpected guests, Mavis told everyone to lay low while she would patrol the entire castle. Natsu rolled onto his side, closing his eyes. "Hm?" Natsu hummed, as he opened his eyes again, a brown rectangular item was sticking out of his clothes he wore when they met up with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

He gave a bit of a sigh and sat up. He ran his fingers through his hair, and gave the letter a stare. He looked around the darkroom, everyone fast asleep. He grabbed the letter and made his way to the Common Room's main area. The room was dark, only for the dim orange from the crackling fireplace. He let his body flop down on the couch and he put up the letter. "Don't open it until we get to Hogwarts huh…?" Natsu repeated softly to himself. He looked up at the ceiling, wondering if he should open the letter or not. " _I really should wait for the others, but if this is an important letter, then….."_

Natsu flicked the letter up and down, and gave another sigh. He pocketed the letter again, and leaned back with his hands supporting his head. "If it's important might as well wait for everyone…" He muttered to himself. "Huh?" Natsu looked back at the fireplace that was dwindling. He visibly groaned and puffed up his cheeks. He spat out three fireballs at the fire, causing the fire to glow brighter, but quickly dimmed down. "Maybe it's the logs." Natsu muttered. As he stood up and walked over to the fire place, he realised that the logs actually looked quite new. "What the….?" Natsu muttered.

Suddenly, he could hear cold snaps at the window. He snapped his attention to the windows, ice slowly spreading a thin layer across. As he breathed out, a small orange flame escaped his mouth, along with steam from his hot breath. Everything became colder in the room, everything becoming slowly frosted over. Natsu ignited his fist and looked around the room. There was only one creature capable of this…

He looked everywhere, looking for the ghast. His head began to spin as he looked around the room. Little by little, fear sneaked into his body. Suddenly, as he turned back around, he could hear the roars of a familiar dragon, haunting his mind, memories on Tenrou Island.

And in his face… He saw a blink of a monster, before it vanished in a vortex. He gasped sharply and fell back, his fist going out. The fire began to glow healthy again, the ice walls dripping. He panted heavily, sweat coming down his forehead. He looked at his hand, as it was shaking once again.

He sharply gasped, looking at the door. "Wait a minute if they were here then…. Lucy!"


	53. In Your Arms

Hey guys

Sorry for it being a day late. I tried to upload it yesterday but there was an error, but it seems alright now! :)

Enjoy!

Natsu bolted out the door and ran through the halls to the Ravenclaw Common Room. He didn't know what came over him. It was highly unlikely Lucy was in danger, but he had a feeling. Just a feeling. After five minutes of running up the tower, he finally reached the Ravenclaw Common Room.

He banged the door with his palm, demanding to let him in. "What came first, the phoenix or the flame?" A voice boomed from the door. "I don't have time for this! I'm a member of Fairy Tail! I have special access!" Natsu yelled. A heavy click from the door came from behind the door, and the door swung open. When he entered the Common Room lounge, he saw a human shaped girl curl up in the center of the room. She was crying and shaking violently, her blond hair covering her face.

"Lucy!" Natsu gasped, running over to her side. He kneeled down, putting a hand on her back and shoulder. Lucy looked up, her eyes red and body in shock. "Natsu…" She gasped. She burst into silent cries, clutching his chest. "They came back Natsu…! I was so scared…! I could hear Acnologia! Like he was in this room!" She weeped. Natsu sat there for a while, then hugged her back. "It's alright. You're safe now…" He comforted, stroking her hair. Lucy took a few breaths, calming herself down. "You feel better?" Natsu asked, looking at her in the eye. "Y-Yeah…. Much better…. Thank you Natsu…. For coming here…." Lucy whispered, looking at him.

"Lucy! Natsu! Are you guys alright?!"

Both of them looked at the doors to the Common Room, and there stood Gajeel and Gray, panting and sweating. "Geez, how high is your Common Room?" Gajeel groaned. "Man it's huge!" He gasped looking around. "Guys!" Natsu stood up, helping Lucy too. She wiped away her tears, and stood up straight. "Did they visit you too?!" Gray exclaimed quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up. "The Dementors!" Gajeel clarified. "Huh? They visited you guys too?" Natsu gasped in shock. Lucy nodded. "I-It was there… then it just vanished…. But it was there long enough for me to feel the fear…." Lucy explained, still shaking.

"So they visited all of us…." Gray muttered, thinking. "Anyway, I'm glad nothing happened to us." Gajeel sighed, folding his arms. "Hey Lucy, why were you in the Common Room lounge anyway?" Natsu asked, looking at her. Lucy took a deep breath, until she could fully compose herself. "I was reading on the Dementors…. And something struck me as odd…" Lucy told them, picking up the book she was reading. She flipped through the pages, until she stopped at a page. "Here." She turned the book towards the boys. Gray grabbed the book and held it up, Gajeel and Natsu reading over his shoulder.

"What…?" Gray gasped. "What? What is it?" Natsu asked, looking at Gray, then at the book. "It says here that if a Dementor will have any chance, they'll seal your fate with a deadly kiss…." Gray read outloud. "What? But then…" Gajeel muttered. Lucy nodded, knowing what he was thinking. "Why did the Dementors leave us alone back then… It's been bugging me too…." Lucy muttered, thinking. "Well then, what should we do?" Natsu asked, looking at Lucy. She gave a hum then looked at the boys. "I think we should leave it for now." Lucy deducted.

"Huh?" The boys questioned in confusion. "First, it's too late to try think about this. Second, if you get caught being here, you could be in big trouble. Third, if we go out and meet a Dementor now, we may not be so lucky." She explained. The three boys hummed and looked at each other. "But if Dementors visited us individually. They might come back again." Gray noted. "Maybe we should go to the Meeting Room and sleep together. In case they come back." He suggested. "Oh yeah! Just like whenever we break into Lucy's Apartment!" Natsu pinged. "SO YOU DO SEE IT AS BREAKING IN!" Lucy yelled in fury, whacking Natsu on the head.

"Lucy! Shush!" Gray hissed. Lucy gasped, covering her mouth. Everyone looked around, making sure no one had heard her. After about five minutes of silence, everyone sighed relief. "Anyway, that sounds like a good idea. If the Dementors come back, we'll be ready." Gajeel agreed, folding his arms. Lucy looked down, then nodded. "Alright. Let's grab our stuff and go to the Meeting Room." Lucy instructed, the boys nodding and heading to their Common Rooms.

Natsu quietly closed the door behind him, careful not to wake anyone up. He patted a sleeping Happy, who was curled up and dreaming away in his bag. He gave a sigh, and looked at both of his hands. He gave them a triumphant fist and pulled his arms in, his eyes filled with determination to get to the meeting point. Without any interruptions. As he exited the boys' hall, he noticed a small candle flickering faintly.

"Huh? What's that?" Natsu muttered, definitely not seeing that when he came in, and since the fire was out on Natsu's return, Natsu was suspicious. He put down his bag and walked onto the balcony that looked over the Common Room. And there on the corner table, was Hermione. She didn't notice him, as she was too busy flipping the pages in her book. That and also her back was turned from him. Natsu watched and blinked for a while, before he decided to go downstairs.

"Hey." Hermione jumped up and turned around. As she did, her elbow accidently knocked over her glass of milk all over the table. "N-Natsu! Don't scare me like that!" Hermione scolded. She turned around and wiped the milk off from the table with a handkerchief. "S-Sorry…" Natsu awkwardly smiled, rubbing the back off his head. "Anyway, what are you doing down here?" Natsu asked. "I should be asking you the same thing Natsu." Hermione shot back as she turned around, folding her arms.

"Oh, I can't sleep is all…" Natsu admitted sheepishly. "Oh…" Hermione muttered, looking away from Natsu a bit. "Anyway, what are you reading?" Natsu asked, looking to the side. "A book about Dementors…." Hermione admitted, picking the book up. "Anything interesting?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. "No, everything so far is what we already know." She sighed. "I see…" Natsu sighed, looking up with his arms folded. "I'll leave you too it. I'mma head back up." Natsu said, turning back around. "Hey Natsu…. Since we're here, is it alright if we talk for a minute?" She asked, looking at him.

"Hm?" Natsu turned around, looking at Hermione, then back upstairs. His bag hidden in the corner. "Uh… sure. What about?" Natsu asked, folding his arms as he turned around. Hermione took a deep breath, then looked Natsu straight in the eye. "I want to know…. Why you're so brave…." Hermione muttered. "What?" Natsu tilted his head, confused.

"You're not afraid to leap into danger or break the rules if it means to help others without a second thought. I heard from Harry that when you went into the Chamber, you thrusted yourself into danger without even thinking what would happen to you…. And in the forest in our first year, you stayed by Harry's side when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned tried to attack you…. Even in classes and during school you're not afraid to express your feelings… How do you not feel any fear? Don't you ever think of the consequences?" Hermione asked, looking up to him. Natsu blinked and looked at Hermione.

"Where is this coming from?" Natsu asked, folding his arms. "O-On the train, when the Dementor tried to attack us…. I was frozen with fear. And Harry almost died because of it. Then I thought of you. How you would've jumped into the danger to save Harry…." She said, looking at the ground. "...That's not entirely true." Natsu said.

Hermione looked up at Natsu with confusion. "It's true I do launch into things without thinking….. But it's because I am scared." Hermione shook her head, baffled. "Wait, you won't jump into things unless you're scared? Usually it's the other way around…" She said. "Usually yes. But with the feeling that you'd lose your best friend, your team mate, the ones who always stuck by you… That's enough to motivate me to do what I do. Although, I always punch first, think later." Natsu chuckled.

Hermione gave a light and friendly scoff. "Well, just make sure you don't knock this castle to smithereens." Hermione joked. Natsu smiled and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah I know." Hermione smiled, and began to walk away.

She stopped, then turned back around to face Natsu with that same smile. "You know, there are many secrets in this castle….. but whenever I look at you… I feel like your hiding the biggest secret of them all…" Natsu blinked a bit, then gave her a toothy smile. "Well, who knows. We all have our secrets." Hermione gave a friendly huff and walked up the stairs, book in hand.

Natsu gave a sigh and looked at the candle, still flickering. The wax was almost done for, the wax spreading across the candle holder. He leaned over the candle, putting his and behind the flame and gave it a light blow. And the candle flicked out. Launching the room into pitch black.

"I'm here." Lucy sighed, entering the Meeting Room. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Clearly tired. "Yo. Any problems getting here?" Gajeel greeted, pushing the big table with a few scratches on the floor. Lucy held her head, trying to block out the scratches. "Yeah yeah, fine. Can you try put it in your pocket dimension instead of pushing it around? I'm gonna get a headache if you keep doing that." Lucy groaned. "I don't want to. It feels weird using Erza's magic." Gajeel complained. Lucy shot him a look. Her eyes were dark and bloodshot like, dark aura emerging from her body, making her hair float. "A-Alright…" He sweatdropped. He had never seen Lucy so angry. He put his hand on the table, and the table and chairs disappeared in a gold light.

"Where's Lily?" Lucy asked, grabbing her blanket and pillow. "Over there." Gajeel pointed to his bag, where Lily was sleeping soundly. "Lucky, he gets some sort of bed…" Lucy groaned, sitting down on the floor. "Well we have to make do. It's not like we have a maid." Gajeel grunted, flicking a blanket down. "Maid... Maid… Ehhhh!" Lucy exclaimed pushing herself up. "W-What?" Gajeel jumped. Lucy rummaged through her small bag pulling out a Gold Key. "Open Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" A magic circle appeared in the room, and out popped Virgo in a bow. "You called Princess? Is it punishment time?" She asked. "Is it alright to grab some beds for us?" Lucy asked sweetly. "Of course."

Virgo snapped her fingers, and a circle of beds appeared around her. She summoned four beautiful beds, complete with pillows and blankets. The frames were decorated with stars and sparkles. The curtains on the beds were deep velvet with real life twinkling stars. Each bed was one of the house colours, and looked nice and warm. "Will this do princess?" Virgo asked. Gajeel gave a bit of an annoyed look, as he and Lucy had brought their own pillows and blankets, but still, it was better than nothing. "Yes, that's great! Thank you Virgo." Lucy smiled. Virgo took a bow. "I will take my leave then." And with that, she disappeared.

"Yes a bed!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping on her bed. She even forgot that she brought her blanket with her. Gajeel sighed and walked to his bed, sitting down. "Anyway, I hope we'll be safe. No one but the House Heads know about this place." Gajeel muttered, looking around the empty hall. Lucy nodded, pulling the sheets over her legs. "But still… I find it odd…. Why didn't the Dementors attack when they definitely had a clear opportunity? It just doesn't add up…." She curled her legs up into a ball and sank her chin into her knees.

"Hey, glad to see you guys are alright." Natsu panted, making his way in. He looked to the side with a hum, seeing the beds. "Ooo nice! Where'd the beds come from?" Natsu asked, putting his bag down. "Virgo." Gajeel replied blatantly. "Ah I see… Any troubles getting here?" He asked, tucking a sleeping Happy in bed. Gajeel and Lucy shook their heads. "That's good. Where's Gray?" Natsu asked, looking around. "Not here yet…." Gajeel sighed, folding his arms.

Gray silently made his way up to the Meeting Room, only his footsteps echoing through the empty castle. As he turned the corner, he saw a large shadow on the wall. He silently gasped turned back. He turned his head, his ear picking up footsteps. The thing casting the shadow finally came around the corner. Gray gave a bit of a gasp, as it wasn't a Dementor. It was Cedric, doing his nightly rounds. Gray tisked, and looked back, thinking.

"What should I do… I can't get caught…." Gray muttered. "Huh?" He then remembered to the time when they met the Dementor for the first time. He looked at his right hand, a cold frost emerging from his palm. He looked back at Cedric, who was heading his way. "I'm sorry about this Cedric…." He whispered. He crouched down and put his palm on the floor.

Cedric suddenly stopped, feeling the cold. His eyes went wide, and began to step back. He looked on the floor, and on the walls, the ice cracking and crawling everywhere. His breath was physical, and he pulled out his wand. Then down the hall, a shadow loomed. It's hands were thin, and a cloak like demon was getting bigger and closer. Cedric, scared stiff, decided to heel and hastily walk the other way.

Gray looked the corner, and sighed relief when he was gone. He pulled his shirt back down, the head hole resting back from his head to his shoulders. He looked at his hands that was wrapped in blocks of ice representing a Dementor's arm. Gray was grateful he got a look at what a Dementor's hands look like. It was amazing what Make Magic can do sometimes. He broke off his fake arms and bolted towards the Meeting Room. Before Cedric decided to come back.

"Gray, there you are!" Natsu growled. "Sorry. I was trying to avoid Cedric…" Gray sighed. "Great. Now that everyone's here, let's get some sleep." Lucy exhaled as she flopped on her bed, pulling her blanket over her. "Yeah…" The boys agreed, laying down on their respective beds.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FOUR DOING HERE?!"

The four students shot up, jumping in fear. "Oh my, are we having a sleepover?" Everyone looked up and saw all the teachers and Charla. "Why are you four sleeping here?" Charla asked, looking down on them. "We should be asking you that! Why are you here?!" Natsu demanded, pointing at them. "Our room is close to here. We heard table screeches and talking so we decided to investigate." Levy explained.

"We had a bit of run ins in our Common Rooms, so we thought it would be best if we slept together for safety." Gray explained. "Huh? What do you mean?" Wendy asked. The boys looked at each other, then back at the teachers. Then Natsu noticed Lucy in a tired trance. She just wanted to sleep.

"We were all sleeping and then-"

"Actually, can we talk about that tomorrow? We're all pretty tired and we have class tomorrow." Natsu interrupted Gray and looked at Lucy. "O-oh yes! Of course." Wendy nodded, heading back up. Everyone else followed suit. "Give a yell if you need anything." Erza said, before leaving. Everyone sighed and flopped on their beds. "Alright, if anyone senses anything funny, wake everyone else up." Gajeel said, putting his arm up. "Yes…." Everyone groaned. And with that, everyone fell into a deep sleep.

"Kahsehaaaaaaath…"

"Natsu…."

"Seeeahthraaa…"

"You've grown so much…."

"Heeesiaaaeth…"

"I look forward to seeing you again…."

Natsu gasped as he woke up. He looked around the room, everyone still asleep. He sat up, digging his face in his hands. He gave a silent groan as he pulled his face down.

"Guah…."

Natsu heard a small whimper close to him and looked to the source of the sound. It was Lucy, shaking a bit in her bed. She gave short and shallow breaths, cold sweat running down her forehead. Natsu watched in hurt, seeing Lucy shake a bit.

"Please... " Lucy whispered. "Please…!" She pleaded again, grasping onto her sheets. "Don't take them away…!"

"Lucy… Lucy!"

Lucy snapped her eyes open and sat up. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and looked up. "Natsu…" She whispered. "Are you alright? It looked like you were having a nightmare…" He asked, sitting down next to her. Lucy sat up and stared at him for a bit, then looked down at her hands clasping the sheets. "I… I dreamt of a dark force, controlling everyone… Except me…. I was forced to watch as everyone was forced either kill each other or join the… the thing that controlled them…" She gripped her hands on the sheets, her face becoming angry.

Natsu sat there, listening to her nightmare. His eyes were wide, not believing Lucy had such a dream. "I… I'm sorry that you had such a dream…" He gasped. Lucy shook her head and looked down. "It's alright. With everything that happened, I'm just on edge… Pathetic isn't it?" Lucy wiped a tear and gave Natsu a painful smile. "I should be over it by now… and yet I'm still shaking like a baby… It's like someone's keeping me to act like this…." She said with a bit of a laugh. "I should be stronger than this…" She muttered.

Natsu sighed, and leaned back. He looked up, folding his arms. "It's not just you Luce. All of us are scared. Even though we don't look like it…." He sighed and looked at Lucy with a smile. "Don't worry. We're Fairy Tail! We won't be brought down that easily." Lucy blinked at Natsu, then gave Natsu a sad smile. "Yeah…. I think I'm going to go back to sleep…" Lucy yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Alright. I'll let you get some sleep." Natsu nodded, standing up. He then felt a tug on his sleeve. "Huh?" He turned around, and saw a heavily red Lucy, lightly holding his sleeve.

"U-Um…. Is it alright if you sleep with me? For some reason… I feel calmer when you're next to me…" She muttered, heavily embarrassed. "...Sure." Natsu smiled, lifting up the duvet and getting comfortable. Lucy shuffled over and layed down, facing Natsu. "What the hell am I doing… I usually kick him out of bed, not the other way around…." She mentally groaned, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw Natsu, staring at her. "W-What…?" She asked, flinching back a bit.

Natsu lifted his hand, and cupped her face. His thumb wiped a remaining tear hanging from her eye. "You know… I'm really happy that I invited you to Fairy Tail… You're one of the strongest people I know… We will always stand by you and we'll always protect each other…." He whispered. Lucy stared at him. Her mind flashed back to the war with Phantom Lord, remembering how Fairy Tail refused to let Lucy go with them. She burst into tears and dug into Natsu's chest, her tears drenching his shirt in her tears.

Natsu opened his arms and held her into a hug. He wanted to say more…. But Lucy had been through enough already, so he stayed silent. They stayed like that until they both fell asleep in each other's embrace.


	54. The Future's Truth

Lucy's eyes opened, the streams of morning shining through the windows. She sighed as she rolled over to the other side. "Eh?" She gawked. Right in front of her face... was a sound asleep Natsu.

"Eh? KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

 _CRASH!_

"GET OUT OF MY BED YOU PERVERT!"

"What the?!" Gray and Gajeel jolted up, seeing Lucy panting and blushing. Natsu on the floor next to her bed.

"You nasty pervert." Gajeel sighed, shaking his head. "What kind of foreplay is that?" Gray asked, giving him a disgusted look. "I-It's not that! It's not what you think!" Natsu shouted. He gave a grumble and stood up. He grabbed his stuff and stormed out the door. "I'm going to get ready." He mumbled, leaving the room.

Lucy panted, holding her hand to her chest. " _T-That really happened... last night..."_ She gasped, her mind flashing back to last night. "Not like that huh?" Gray teased, patting her on the head with a trickster smile. "Get off my case Gray!" Lucy gritted and snapped at him.

Natsu was the first to enter the Main Hall with a yawn and smacked his lips. "Natsu! Over here!" Neville yelled and waved over to him. With him was the usual gang. "Morning guys…" Natsu smiled, sitting down across Hermione. "Morning." She smiled, putting her book away. "Hey where did you go this morning? We woke up and you weren't there." Ron asked, not bothering to swallow his food. "Oh, I just woke up early and decided to walk around." Natsu explained.

"Well anyway, do you guys know how to open this book yet?" Neville asked, plonking his animal book on the table. Everyone jumped and backed away a bit. "Hey don't put that thing on the table!" Natsu yelled, flicking a plate up to defend himself. "Relaxed it's closed." Neville pointed out. "O-Oh…" Natsu muttered, putting the plate down. "No not yet. Everytime I try to open it, the book attacks me." Harry complained.

"Seriously who had the bright idea of putting a book in a monster?! It just makes no sense!" Natsu yelled, slamming his fork and fist on the table. "If they want us to learn, why is the book they wrote trying to kill us?! If they don't want us to learn, then don't write the book! Hell. How did they even WRITE thousands of these?!" He continued. Everyone sighed, partially agreeing.

"Man what a night…." Gajeel yawned, rubbing his hair. "Tell me about it…. Because of last night's intervention, I feel like I'm gonna drop off to sleep at anytime…" Gray sighed. Both of them reached the Hall before any of their Hogwarts friends or roommates did. "Talk to you later man." Gray groaned, waving a slight goodbye as they went to their house tables.

As they both sat down, they reached out for some food and put it on their plates. "Hey Gray. You were up early." Gray looked to the side and saw his roommates, Susan and Cedric. "Oh hey guys. Yeah, I felt like getting up early so I could have a head start." Gray said with a tired smile.

"Eh?"

"No way!"

"As if!"

His friends scoffed, taking a seat next to him.

Gajeel leaned on his hand, picking up a cinnamon roll and taking a bite. "Redfox!" Gajeel hummed, looking up. Draco and his posse stomped over and sat across from him. "Where were you this morning?" Crabbe asked. "Yeah, you were gone when we woke up." Doyle muttered, grabbing a chocolate eclair and took a big bite. "What? Is there a problem for me getting up earlier than you three?" He muttered, still too tired to deal with this. Draco huffed and leaned forward. "I want to ask you a question." He whispered. "Yeah, what?" Gajeel sighed. "What did you find about Heartfilia?" Draco asked. "Huh? Why you asking me that?!" Gajeel said, a bit shocked. "I've seen you talk to her. You must know a few things about her." Draco whispered. "Look, I just talk to her and bump into her occasionally. It's not like we have a deep connection or anything." Gajeel said, a bit annoyed.

Natsu glared at his Gray and Gajeel, both of them with gloomy faces. He then turned to his friends who looked bored. "Hm… Hey Semus!" Semus looked up from his breakfast, still chewing. "Watch this." Natsu chuckled evilly, and pointed his wand at the two sweets from last night. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Natsu whispered. The sweets floated up, and Natsu delicately and secretly placed the brown one on Gray's plate, and the white on Gajeel's. He then chuckled, not even bothering to hide it was him. The five other Gryffindors looked at each other, some with excitement, others with concern.

"But yeah, Professor Charity is great. She's really nice." Cedric smiled. Gray chuckled and picked up the grey sweet without thinking. Gajeel, in his tired state, also picked up the sweet and popped into his mouth at the same time as Gray bit into half of it. They both gave a chew, and their bodies jerked violently. "Gray are you alright?" Susan asked, leaning forward. "What's your deal Redfox?" Draco asked between chews.

"Buakak!"

"Hee-haw!"

Everyone in the hall, especially the people that had relations with them, jump in surprise. Gray was now talking like a donkey, and Gajeel a chicken! "What the-!" Ernie gasped. Cedric grabbed what Gray just ate and examined it. "Wait, isn't this…?!" Zach snatched it from Cedric's hand, and his eyes opened wide. "Isn't this the donkey one?!" He exclaimed. "Gajeel stop it at once!" Draco demanded. "Buakak!" Gajeel clucked, trying to reply.

"AAAAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu bursted out laughing, banging his fists on the table. Seamus and Neville looked at each other, like the ultimate prank had been pulled. Hermione's jaw dropped, Ron and Harry wide eyed with horror. "D-Don't you think that's a bit cruel?" Ron whispered. "Huh? Nah. It's all in good fun. I mean-" Everyone faceing Natsu gasped a bit, jerking back, as Gray and Gajeel appeared behind him. Angry. "I did it all the time back at-"

 _THWACK!_

"OW!" Natsu's head cracked into the table a bit, as two fists pushed him into the wood. Natsu looked up, rubbing his head. "What the hell was that for you bastards?!" He yelled at his two attackers, before launching himself at them, and the three rolled around in the hall in dust. "YOU SNUCK IN THOSE SWEETS DIDN'T YOU?!" Gray demanded. "ADMIT IT SALAMANDER!" Gajeel yelled. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DEAL?!" Everyone in the hall watched on as the three continued to bicker and wrestle comedically. "Salamander…?" Hermione muttered. "Here they go again…" Ron muttered, playing around with his food.

"Hey hey hey! Knock it off you three!" Cedric ordered, standing up and walking over to the fight. "STAY OUT OF THIS CEDRIC!" The three of them snapped, stopping, then starting again. The boys tangled for a bit before separating. Natsu, out of frustration, grabbed a cream puff and a strawberry cake from his plate. "TAKE THIS YOU BASTARDS!" He yelled, throwing the treats. Gray and Gajeel swiftly dodge them, and turned around, about to gloat.

Lucy yawned as she walked into the dining hall. "What's with the early commotio-"

 _SPLAT!_

Erza sharply looked up and stopped walking to her class. "Erza? What's wrong?" Levy asked, turning around. "I… I don't know… I just feel like…. A strawberry cake didn't make it…" She mumbled. "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Levy questioned, tilting her head. "Oh, nothing… I think… Let's keep moving."

Everyone gasped, looking at Lucy. Her face was hit with the cake, and it stayed there for about three seconds before it slid off. Her face was covered in cream, crumbs, and strawberries. Her hair, that was hit by the cream puff, now all sugary and oily, mixed with cream. Everyone, but most of the Slytherins who were laughing, was gobsmacked. Not sure how to react. But Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel had nervous looks on their faces. Lucy's eye twitched, and took a deep breath. She grabbed a napkin from one of the tables and wiped her face.

She calmly stepped forward to the boys, who were frozen in their position. She stopped in front them still calm. Then…

 _THWACK!_

 _THWACK!_

 _THWACK!_

"CAN YOU IDIOTS GO ONE DAY WITHOUT HUMILIATING YOURSELVES AND ME?!" She scolded. Everyone jumped back, not expecting Lucy to go that route. "Now apologize to each other, and go back to your tables!" Lucy demanded. The boys mumbled an apology to each other, before scuttling back to their tables with thumping heads. "Wow…." Ron muttered. "I don't know if she handled that well or not…" Cedric said, with a mixture of laughing, and concern. "Heartfilia is scary…" Doyle said, shaking a bit.

"Geez…. Now I have to wash up…" Lucy groaned, exiting the hall. Draco watched with judgemental eyes. "Maybe we can open the book by feeding it." Ron suggested. "Feeding it what?" Harry asked. "Maybe we can feed it raw beef…" Neville muttered. "Are you crazy?! It could eat us next!" Semus yelled. As everyone began to bicker about what to do, Natsu catched a flick of a robe floating down the hall. "Hm?" He hummed as he looked down that way. What his eye caught was Malfoy, emotionlessly walking out the hall. After he walked out, Natsu continued to stare at Malfoy's back giving him a suspicious eye.

"Man, those idiots…" Lucy sighed walking out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through her wet hair. "Huh?" She looked to the side, letting the towel slide off her head. "Uh… Malfoy…?" She muttered in confusion. Draco looked up and stood up from the wall he was leaning on. "Heartfilia." He greeted back, stepping towards her. "What do you want this time?" She asked aggressively, shifting her weight to the left and put a hand on her hip. "If this is about my family again, I don't want to talk about it." She shot out, hoping he would go away if that was the reason he followed her.

"Oh no. I didn't want to talk about that. I wanted to talk about you." He smirked, stepping forward. "W-What?" She stuttered. "I want to know a bit more about you. Is that wrong?" He asked in a sinister tone. "Yes, because when you want something, you'll do anything to uncover or get it..." She said, stepping back from his advancements. "Is that what people really think of me? I'm hurt…" He said with a slithery smile as he kept on going. Lucy felt a flat surface on her back, stopping her in her tracks.

She gave a gasp and looked at Draco who was in her face. "So tell me…. " He placed a hand on the wall behind her. "Who are you exactly….." Lucy's heart was beating faster and faster at Draco's interrogation. His grey green eyes piercing her soul.

"Lucy Heartfilia?"

Lucy's eyes shook in fear, staring at Draco, his eyes filled with determination to know the truth. "I-I…."

 _Pat_

Draco felt a tight, hot grasp on his shoulder. He sharply looked behind him, and there was Natsu. His hand grasping on his robe and his eyes filled with fury. "Is there some problem here?" He asked, gritting. Draco gave him a cold stare then gave an emotionless look as he turned around. "No, nothing." He shrugged. "Then why are you advancing on my fiance?" Natsu asked, moving his hand from the shoulder to his collar and pulled him closer. "I just wanted to talk to her Dragneel. That's all. Now let go of me, or I'll tell my father about this." Draco sneered.

Natsu gave a growl, then put Draco back down. He adjusted his uniform and gave a scoff as he walked away. "Hey, you alright?" Natsu asked, turning his attention to Lucy. "Yeah… I was a bit worried. He wasn't going to let me go until I spilled." She sighed, rubbing her head. "Well, hopefully this will be the last time he'll bother you…" Natsu smiled. "Let's get back to the Main Hall. Not great to start the day on an empty stomach." He beamed and grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling her to the Main Hall.

"Woah!" Lucy exclaimed, her body jerking forward from the pull. "Natsu! Don't pull so hard!" Lucy exclaimed, her feet flinging back as she tried to keep her balance. "No I'm not!" Natsu pouted, looking behind him as he ran with her. "Natsu!" Lucy groaned.

"Hm?" A shadow stepped out, just catching a glimpse of the two running off. "So those are the two huh?" The person scuffled through his papers and pulled two sheets out. One with a photo of Lucy and the other of Natsu. They gave a considerate hum, then began to walk the other way.

"Woah! This is a cool classroom!" Natsu cooed, looking around the Fortune Telling Classroom. "If you think this is cool, wait till we learn how to read the future!" Ron beamed, he and Harry walking past him. "Don't need that, I can already tell the future." Natsu smiled back jokingly, following them and taking a seat. "For example." Natsu brought his pointing and middle fingers together and placed them on his temples. "I predict I'm going to learn how to read the future…." He said in a monotone voice. Harry and Ron laughed as they placed down their bags and sat down.

"Come my children…" A voice whispered, gathering the students' attention to the front. There sat a frizzy haired teacher with thick glasses, wearing an outfit you would think would have just stepped out of the 70's. "In this room, you shall explore the noble art of Divination. And you shall discover if you possess the sight-" As the teacher stood up, she banged into a table causing a bit of a clatter. The students gave a bit of a chuckle. The teacher gave a bit of an embarrassed nod as she walked around the table. "Of the future." She finished.

"I am Professor Trelawney, and together, we shall cast ourselves into the future!" She exclaimed theatrically, ending with a silent squeal. "Seems someone's been reading Shakespeare…." Lucy muttered, her language and actions reminding her of a scene out of Macbeth or something.

"This term will be focusing on-" As the teacher continued to talk, Draco leaned over to Crabbe, who was sitting across him. "Hey, did you hear? Cedric ran into a Dementor last night, and ran away like a baby!" He snickered, Crabbe snickering as well. Natsu jolted a bit, remembering that Gray said something getting past Cedric. " _Gray…."_ He thought with a sigh.

"So will you please switch the tea cups with the people around you." The teacher said, just as Natsu was tuning back in. "Oh!" He picked up his cup and tapped Lucy's shoulder, who was sitting behind him. "Here you are Luce." He said, handing her his cup. Lucy snapped to her table, and picked up her cup. She gave a smile as they exchanged cups.

"You see, the truth lies beneath the surface of a book! Waiting to be read! But first, you must broaden your minds…" She grabbed Neville's head and gave it a shake. "You must look BEYOND!" She exclaimed, thrusting her hand to the back of the room. Everyone followed her hand, looking at where she was pointing.

"What a load of rubbish."

"GACK!" Natsu exclaimed, almost falling off his chair. "What the-! When did you get here?!" Ron exclaimed, not remembering Hermione walking in with them. "Me? I've been here all this time!" Hermione scoffed. "Yeah right! You didn't come in with us!" Natsu hissed.

"You boy!" Trelawney pointed at Neville and slowly walked towards him. "Is your grandmother well?" She asked. "U-Uh I think so…" Neville stuttered. The teacher gasped and shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No no no no don't be so sure about that…" She gestured to the boy sitting across him, holding her hand out. "Give me the cup." The boy gave her the tea cup, Trelawney looking into it. She shook her head and gave worried hums as she put the cup back down. She let out a worrisome "oh!" as she moved on. Neville snached the cup and looked at it, but all he could see was tea leaves.

"Broaden your minds!" Trelawney exclaimed once more as she glided across the room. Once she stopped in front of Ron, she exclaimed, making Ron jump. "Your aura is pulsing dear. Are you in the beyond?! I think you are!" She exclaimed. "Y-Yeah sure…" Ron stuttered.

"Yeah, beyond the clouds…" Natsu muttered with a laugh, resulting in Lucy hitting him on the head. "Ow!"

"Read the cup dear. Tell me what you see!" She asked. "Oh um… Harry's got a wonky cross, that's child's in suffering…." Ron explained, flipping through his book. "Mmmhm…" The teacher nodded. "And uh… that there could be the sun, which is happiness." Ron gave a confused look, then looked at Harry. "So you're going to be suffering, but you'll be happy about it…" Ron interpreted. Natsu gave Harry a look. "...Harry are you a secret massocist?" He asked. "What?! No!" Harry exclaimed. "Really? Cause that sounds like masochist to me." Natsu snickered. "I am not one Natsu!" Harry argued.

"Give me the cup!" She commanded, holding her hands out. Ron shrugged and gave it to her. But once she saw what was inside she screamed and violently put the tea cup down. Everyone jumped, wondering what was wrong. "Oh my boy…" She panted. "What, what is it?" Natsu asked, looking at Harry, then back at Trelawney. Her lips quivered, and then she spoke.

"My dear… you have The Grim…." She said. "The wha…?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. "What is that?" Whispers around the classroom began to slither about. "Here!" A boy exclaimed, finding the page about the Grim. "Taking form of a giant spectred dog, The Grim is the darkest omens of our world… It is the omen of death…." Harry stared into his cup, shaking a bit. Everyone looked around, whispering about the omen.

The teacher then looked at Lucy, and walked to her. "L-Let's not think about it class. Let us continue. My dear, the cup." She asked, stuttering and shaking a bit. "H-Huh? Oh yes, of course…" Lucy muttered, handing the cup to her. She took a look and gasped once more. But this time, she dropped the cup, dropping it into shattered pieces.

"What the-!" Natsu exclaimed, standing up sharply. She looked at Natsu as she slowly backed away. She shook her head, unable to speak or move. Lucy looked at Lucy, worried at what she saw in Natsu's future. Everyone looked at Natsu, who had a shocked look in his eye, looking blankly at his teacher.

"...Well that was a lesson…" Ron said bluntly as they all made their way to their next lesson. "I wonder what was in Natsu's cup…. Looked like Trelawney saw a demon or something…." Ron muttered, looking back, Natsu sluggishly following behind, looking down. Harry said nothing, his mind occupied by his own fortune. "Don't let it get to you Harry." Hermione smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You've faced death twice now. I think you'll be fine." She comforted.

"But still…." She looked at Natsu, Lucy running up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I do want to know what Natsu's cup said." She agreed. The three stopped, watching Lucy talk to Natsu. Natsu visibly sighed, mouthing a few agreements. "I wonder what they're talking about…" Ron muttered, until Lucy gave a smile, and walked away to her next class.

Natsu smiled and waved at her as she left, then turned around, facing the trio. "Uh!" They all jerked and sharply turned back around and kept on walking. "A-Anyway!" Hermione continued, all three of them red of embarrassment. Natsu could hear them talking about Harry's fortune in Divinations, and Hermione said it was just rubbish. She then went on to say that Ancient Ruins with Levy was fascinating. But Ron got confused as she would need to be in two places at once. Natsu stared a bit, before giving a sigh and made his way down to the next class.

Care of Magical Animals.


	55. Wings of Freedom

**Hey guys! Just a heads up, I added to the last chapter, and yeah that's all.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Come on! Come closer! No talking if you please!" Everyone gathered around Hagrid, as if he were some sort of Showman at a Carnival. "Welcome to Care of Magical Animals. Now I go' a real good treat for ya! Follow me! Follow me!" Everyone followed him into the woods until they reached a clear area, light shining through the leaves, giving it a refreshing feeling.

"Less cha'er please! Form a group over there, and open your books to Page 49!" Hagrid ordered, walking away from the group. "And how on earth-" Draco started, but got cut off by his book trying to leap out of his hands. "Are we supposed to do that?!" Draco demanded, restraining his book. "Stroke the spine of course." Hagrid told them, shaking his head.

Everyone looked at each other, then looked at their books. As Draco stroked the spine, the book purred, calming down. Draco looked up, with a confused look on his face. "Huh…" He muttered, before moving on. Neville, who did not hear what Hagrid said, blindly opened the book. The book snapped at his face as he fell down. "NEVILLE!" Natsu gawked, trying to pull the book away from Neville's face. Natsu was finally successful and quickly stroked the spine before the book could do anything else.

The Slytherins began to laugh at Neville's misfortune. "Don't be such a wimp Longbottom." Draco snarked. Hermione slammed her book down as the Slytherins slipped to the back. "I think they're funny." Hermione said sarcastically. "Oh yeah REAL funny. Pretty witty." Draco sneered back. "God this place has gone to the dumps." Natsu jolted his head up, as he helped Neville stand. "Wait till my father hears Dumbledore's got the oaf teaching classes."

The Slytherins began to snicker, Harry stepping forward with an angry look in his face. "Shut up Malfoy." He gritted. "Ooooo!" The Slytherin kids smirked. Draco gave a scoff, dumping his bag into Crabbe's hands. He stepped forward, ready to rumble with Harry. The boys stared at each other intensely. Draco looked above Harry, his eyes widening and his steps trembling backwards. "D-D-Dementor! DEMENTOR!" He yelled, pointing behind Harry.

Everyone gasped, looking behind them looking for the dark ghost. "Hahahahahahahaha!" The Slytherins laughed, propping their hoods up. "WoOwooWoooWooOOo!" The boys taunted, pretending to be the Dementors. Hermione turned Harry away, disgusted by Slytherins actions. That only made the Slytherins laugh harder. "Those bastards…" Natsu growled, letting go of Neville. "You're supposed to stroke it…" Ron sighed to Neville, as he put down his book and gave Ron a look.

"Ahem!" Everyone turned to Hagrid, who then turned around, arms opened wide. "Da dada daaaa!" Hagrid sang. Everyone looked beyond the trees a white creature emerging. It had the face of an eagle, the front legs of an eagle, and the body and back legs of a horse, and wings of an angel.

"Woah…" Natsu gasped. Everyone cooed at the animal. "Isn't he beautiful.." Hagrid asked as he tossed the creature some raw fish, which the animal gobbled up in an instant. "Meet Buckbeak!" Hagrid introduced, the creature shaking his mane. "Hagrid, what is that?" Ron asked. "Buckbeak is a Hippogriff. Now one thing you need to know about Hippogriffs is that they are proud creatures. NEVER insult a Hippogriff. It could be the last think you know…" Hagrid warned.

"Now, who would like to come say hello?" Hagrid asked, turning to Buckbeak. Everyone scuttled back, only Natsu and Harry standing forward. "H-Huh? Why are you guys running back?" Natsu asked, looking back. "Ah! Harry! Natsu!" Hagrid beamed. Natsu looked back forward. "Come closer boys." Harry looked around, then back forward, Natsu already walking forward.

Harry and Natsu stood in front of Buckbeak. "Now, you have to let him make the first move. Stand there." The boys stopped and looked at each other. "Do a nice bow." Hagrid instructed. "If he bows back, you can touch him. If not…. Well we can get to that later." Both boys looked forward and did a stiff bow to the creature. Everyone watched on, wondering what would happen next. "Now stay low, both of ya." The boys kept their positions, locking eyes with the beast.

The creature cawed, flapping its wings. "Get back! Both of you!" Hagrid ordered. Natsu and Harry shuffled back, but Harry stepped on a stick, causing a loud crack. Hermione gasped, grasping onto Ron. "Stay still…." Hagrid whispered, both boys keeping their bows.

The Hippogriff finally calmed down, and stepped forward, dipping his head into a bow. "Haha! Well done boys! Good boy Buckbeak!' Hagrid praised, tossing Buckbeak another fish. "You boys can go pat him now. Go on." Hagrid encouraged. The boys smiled and stepped forward to Buckbeak.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

Kids exclaimed, Draco pushing through with an apple in hand.

"Nice and slow boys…" Hagrid ordered as Harry and Natsu inched closer. Both of them held out their hands, Buckbeak snapping a bit. Hermione gasped one more time, grabbing Ron's hand. Ron's eyes widened a bit, looking at him hand. Hermione looked at Ron, then realised what she was doing. She took her hand away from Ron, both of them blushing a bit.

"Stop there!" Hagrid whispered. Both boys stopped, a few meters away from the Hippogriff. "Wait…" Buckbeak slowly stepped forward, sniffing their hands. After a few seconds, the Hippogriff nuzzled up to their hands. "Well done boys!" Hagrid applauded, everyone else, but Draco and his goons.

"Right, time for a ride."

"Wait what?" The boys asked, Hagrid picking up Harry. "Hey hey hey hey! H-Hagrid wait!" Harry pleaded, putting Harry on first, then picked up Natsu. "H-Hagrid are you sure it's alright for me to ride Buckbeak?!" Natsu exclaimed, worried about his motion sickness.

"Oh yeah you'll be fine. Don't pluck his feathers. Have fun!" Hagrid beamed, giving Buckbeak a whack. The creature kicked up his front legs, and ran forward. "KYAAAA! WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT! HAAAAGRIIIIIIIID!" Natsu yelled as the beast jumped off a nearby cliff and dived down. Everyone gasped and ran over the edge, looking down.

A few seconds passed in uncomfortable silence. Suddenly the winged creature zoomed up, causing a strong wind to the students. "Ah!" They screamed, blocking the wind from with their arms. "Huh?" Everyone exclaimed, looking up as the boys flew away on the Hippogriff. Some of them could even swear hearing Natsu and Harry's screams.

Natsu opened his eyes then gasped. He wasn't sick. They were flying around Hogwarts clock towers, then flew up into the clouds. "Woah! This is so scary! I've never done this before!" Harry exclaimed in a panic. "Wait, you've never ridden on an animal before?" Natsu asked, which Harry shook his head to. Natsu stayed silent for a bit, then stood up cautiously on the creature's back. "Natsu?" Harry asked, turning around. Natsu spread out his arms and leaned back, falling. "Natsu!" Harry exclaimed, trying to grab his hand. But he couldn't grab his hand as it was out by a few millimeters.

"NATSU!" Harry yelled, watching him disappear into the clouds.

…..

"WOOOOOHOOOO!" A call came from below Harry. "Huh?" Natsu zoomed up, a blue item on his back. Natsu flew around a bit, then flew beside Harry with a smile. "Happy?! When did you get here?!" Harry exclaimed. "I was watching your lesson, then followed you guys." Happy explained. "Uhhh…. Don't scare me like that Natsu!" Harry sighed. "Sorry, but since this your first time flying on a creature, this moment should belong to you." Natsu smiled. Harry blinked at him a bit, then gave a smile. "Thank you…" Harry smiled, but he was still tense and scared. Both of them flew side by side as they dived to the surface of the lake.

"Hey Harry! Don't be so scared! Spread your hands out!" Natsu called out. Harry took a deep breath, and spread his arms out. His face erupted into a smile, and began to cheer with excitement. Natsu grinned, and looked forward. "Harry, I'm going back to class! Enjoy your first flight on an animal!" Natsu saluted, and with that, Natsu and Happy vanished across the lake.

Harry watched him leave, then looked forward with a beam, the feeling of flying through the air on this incredible creature was just breathtaking. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling sink in. He thanked Natsu in his heart, giving this experience to him.

 _WHOOSH!_

Harry opened his eyes in shock, seeing a dark shadow zoom by the corner of his eye. He slowly turned his head to the left, and saw Gajeel. His black cat carrying him through the air. The two stared at each other as they brushed past each other. Gajeel and Lily stared in shock, but didn't stop, zooming off into an unknown area of forest.

"Hey wait!" Harry called after them. The Hippogriff turned around, flying at top speed after them keeping Gajeel in Harry's sights. Gajeel dived, and landed in an empty space as Lily hoped down, his wings vanishing. "Gajeel!" Gajeel looked up as the half bird, half horse landed in front of him. Harry slipped off and slowly walked towards Gajeel.

Gajeel said nothing, just looking to the ground. "Gajeel-" Gajeel gave him an evil glint, making Harry jump back a bit. "W-Why can your cat fly? Is he the same cat as Natsu?" Harry asked, looking down at Lily. "...Yeah." Lily confirmed in his deep voice, which made Harry surprised a bit. "Oi Lily!" Gajeel hissed. "It's fine Gajeel. He won't tell anyone." Lily comforted, looking back at Harry.

"Huh…. S-So I take it that Draco and the others don't know…?" Harry asked. "Why would I tell them?" Gajeel gruffed, swiveling around and putting his hands behind his head. "If I tell them they could take advantage of him." He explained calmly. "I see…. Gajeel…?" Gajeel turned back around humming.

"Why were you flying around? Shouldn't you be in class?" Harry asked. "...I should be asking you the same thing Potter…" Gajeel sighed, pocketing his hands, smoothly avoiding the question. "It was for Care of Magical Animals. And why are you flying around to begin with?" Harry asked again, the creature's head nuzzling on Harry's shoulder. Harry got shoved to the side a bit, before smiling and curled his arm under the Buckbeak's chin, before stroking it on the head. "...Can't be bothered with class." Gajeel sighed. "Speaking of which, you better get back, before suspicions rise." Gajeel said. "Huh? Oh right!" Harry gasped, climbing back onto the Hippogriff's back.

"You better not tell anyone!" Gajeel reminded him again. "I won't!" Harry promised, as Buckbeak took off, giving a strong wind as it jumped into the sky and flew in the direction of the class. "That was a close one…" Lily said, once he was gone. "Yeah…. He would have flown right into the Dementors if he went that way…" Gajeel walked over to the edge of the lake, black sweeping spects gliding over the space.

"Anyway, we should get back before anyone realises we were gone too long." Lily reminded him, flying up and grabbing Gajeel's back. "Yeah." Gajeel agreed, both of them zooming off back to the castle.

A sharp whistle echoed above the class, and the Hippogriff gilded around the trees before landing in front of the class. Natsu was already there cradling Happy, smiling and talking with Hermione and Ron. "Harry!" Natsu beamed. "Well done Harry!" Everyone praised, congratulating him once Hagrid got Harry off. "How am I doing for my first day?" He asked. "Amazing. Professor." Harry smiled.

"Oh please!" Malfoy scoffed, pushing his classmates aside. "Yeah, you're not dangerous at all are you you butt ugly creature!" Draco taunted, striding up to Buckbeak. "Malfoy!" Hagrid yelled. The Hippogriff screeched and stood on its hind legs. Using its mighty claws, it scratched Draco's arm.

Everyone screamed and ran back, as Draco dropped to the floor. "Buckbeak! Buckbeak!" Hagrid jumped in front of the upset creature with a stern look. He threw fish to the side, which Buckbeak followed to eat. "Away you silly creature." He scolded.

Draco groaned, and held his heavily bleeding arm. "I-I-It nearly killed me…" Draco panted. "Gr… THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO FORCE YOUR WAY ONTO BUCKBEAK YOU IDIOT!" Natsu yelled. "Natsu!" Hagrid yelled. Natsu tsked, looking away. "Hagrid, you have to take him to the hospital!" Hermione exclaimed, running forward.

"I'm the teacher, I'll take him." Hagrid decided, picking Draco up. "You'll all pay for this…. Especially that chicken…." Draco groaned. "Class dismissed!" Hagrid called out, everyone panting. Natsu stared at Hagrid and Draco, before turning his attention to Buckbeak, who was nuzzling against Harry. "I have a bad feeling about this…" Natsu muttered. "Aye…." Happy agreed.

"I can't believe Draco would do something that rash…" Natsu grumbled as he and Gajeel walked together. "He wouldn't stop boasting about it in the infirmary and in the dorm rooms…" Gajeel sighed. "He kept saying he fought the I quote "The Overgrown Chicken" and everything." He continued. "Well it's not true and he knows it." Natsu gritted, stepping in front of the painting, Gajeel behind him.

"By the way, you got the letter right?" Gajeel reminded. "Right here." Natsu flicked the letter in his hand. As both of them stepped through the painting, a yell echoed from upstairs. "He's been sighted!"

Wendy ran down the stairs, waving a newspaper in her hand. "Eh?!" Everyone gathered round the table. "See! Right here!" Wendy pointed at the paragraph. Makarov picked up the paper, and read the article out loud. "Sirius Black has been sighted in Dufftown…" He mumbled. "Dufftown, that's not far from here…" Lucy gasped. "Do you think he's at Hogwarts?" Gray asked, leaning on a chair's behind. "Doubt it, there's Dementors everywhere…." Gajeel pointed out. "Yeah but he's already got past them once. There's a high chance he could sneak past them again." Natsu said blatantly. "I agree with Natsu on that. If he's done it once, he can do it again." Charla nodded. "Should we tighten our routes then?" Lily asked. "Maybe we can lure him out with fish!" Happy exclaimed. "Like that'll work…" Charla muttered.

"Well, in any case, we should be careful… He could be closer than we think…" Erza sighed, folding her arms. "I agree with Erza. He could be in the castle right now." Mira agreed. "Hey Natsu, what's that?" Levy asked, pointing at the letter in Natsu's hand. "Huh?" Natsu held up his hand, showing the letter.

"Oh yeah! Mrs Weasley gave it to us. She said for us to read it once we got here." He explained, giving the letter to Makarov. "Did she now…?" He asked. "She said the letter's from Dumbledore." Natsu added. Makarov gave a hum and tore the envelope open. He pulled out a few papers. "What is it Master?" Wendy asked.

"Reports on Sirius Black…" He mumbled, shuffling to the next paper. "What does it say?" Levy asked next. "Well, it says here he was one of the first members of the Order of the Phoenix." Makarov read. "Eh? The one we were invited to?" Lucy exclaimed, leaning forward. "But why would a member turn on them?" Lily muttered. "What was he convicted for?" Levy asked.

Let's see…. he-" Makarov's eyes opened wide, and his hands began shaking. "Master?" Lucy asked, tilting her head. "H-He was arrested for twelve counts of muggle murders, and for murdering the Potter family…" He read. "What?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Let me see those reports!" Mavis demanded, just coming in. Makarov let go of the papers as they floated to her. She hummed, then her eyes looked like she caught something. "I see…" She muttered. She gave a bit of a smile, relieved. "Everyone, listen carefully." She said.

Everyone stood silent as Mavis explained her findings from the reports. Everyone's eyes and mouths widened in surprise. "I believe this is what happened. I am 99.324% sure of it." Mavis finished. "Well… it would make sense. And this is the First Master. Her deductions are usually never wrong…." Charla muttered.

Lucy nodded. "I agree…. From that story…. It just doesn't add up. Why would Sirius do those things…?" She muttered. "Gray, Natsu." Mavis turned to the two frenemies, who hummed as they looked up at her. "I have a favour to ask…" She smiled.

"Why did she ask us to do this?" Natsu muttered, standing outside to old tree outside Hogwarts. "Don't argue with her. I don't like this as much as you, but First Master ordered us…" Gray grumbled, his breath physically seen. "Jeez… why am I stuck with this idiot…?" Gray whispered under his breath, not realising he stripped of his shirt.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Natsu yelled, punching him in the face. "What the hell's your deal man?!" Gray gritted, tussling back. "Take back what you said Ice Queen!" Natsu yelled. "You are SO DEAD!" Gray yelled back. "Huh?" Suddenly, the boys stopped tussling, and looked forward.

There stood a tall, dark shadow. His clothes were dirty and rugged, but his face was obscured by shadows. The boys let go of each other and faced the stranger. "She said you'd come. Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you or turn you in." Gray explained calmly. "Our master has talked with Dumbledore, and he will let you stay here until this all blows over." Natsu added. The figure looked at them, unsure of their word. "My name is Gray Fullbuster." Gray smiled, pointing his thumb at himself. "I am Natsu Dragneel." Natsu smiled, doing the same thing.

"We are members of The Order of The Phoenix. And members of Fairy Tail. At your service."


	56. Lives of Another

**Hey guys**

 **Soooo some people aren't getting notifications of my story. Well, just to put some ease, I try to upload every Saturday/Sunday (Depending where you're from) so just give a check and it will most likely be uploaded :)**

 **Enjoy!**

A week passed at Hogwarts, and the news of Sirius Black was still floating around the school. Lucy walked down the stairs with Gray as they walked to their next classes. "Hey guys!" A voice called out to them. Gray and Lucy looked behind them with a hum. Natsu ran up to them with a smile. "Look at what I found!" Natsu lifted his fist and let go. Out of his hand dropped a beautiful amber pendant with a gold dragon decoration around the gem.

"I saw it lying outside a room." Natsu smiled, looking at the amulet. "It really is pretty…" Lucy smiled, touching the amulet slightly. "You should hand that back to whoever lost it." Gray said bluntly. "I will! When I find out who dropped it." Natsu promised, pocketing the necklace. "You better." Gray sighed, turning back around. "What's that supposed to mean?! I'm not a thief!" Natsu yelled, running in front of Lucy to Gray. "Don't jump to conclusions you idiot!" Gray yelled. "What was that?!" Lucy gave a sigh.

 _Snicker_

"Huh?" Lucy hummed, looking to one of the hallways. There stood three Ravenclaw boys, the same ones who questioned her place at Ravenclaw during the first year. They pointed at her, then slipped back into the hallways. Lucy stood there for a bit, before looking down, as if she had gone through this before.

"So anyway, Professor McGarden said that we have to write a spell of our choosing in Ancient Runes." Hermione finished, as she, Ron and Harry walked down the stairs. "Oh, Natsu! Lucy! Gray!" Hermione called out, noticing the three of them walking down the same direction as them. The three turned around, and gave them a smile. "Yo!" Natsu smiled, saluting them. "Good morning!" Lucy smiled, waiting for them to catch up.

"You guys did your homework?" Ron asked, catching up to them. "Yeah, but I was so confused about the third question. Took me awhile to figure it out." Lucy said, laughing and rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah I know! It was so hard that question…." Ron agreed. "What are you talking about. That was an easy question!" Hermione scoffed. Ron stopped and turned around, giving her a look. "Well, we're not as smart as you Hermione." He said staely.

Everyone stopped, giving a bit of a shocked expression. " _He said it!"_ They all thought. "C-Come on, we'll be late to class if we stand here! Let's go." Lucy said swiftly, pushing them down the stairs lightly. As she did,she felt her foot caught on her robe. "Ah….." She gasped slightly, feeling her body lean forward. The world went into slow motion, as the five in front of her turned around, their faces turning from confusion to shock.

"Ow!"

"Kya!"

 _CRASH!_

 _BANG!_

The six students landed in a heap, the gem flying out of Natsu's pocket. Lucy lied on her back on top of Natsu, Ron sitting on Hermione, and Gray lying on top of Harry. The gem slid on the floor, stopping in front of them. It suddenly glowed brightly, the six students stared at it, frozen a bit.

When the glowing stopped, the students hummed then blinked a bit. "Ah…" They all gasped. "H-Hey, why am I sitting on top of…." Hermione looked down, only to see herself on the ground. She blinked a bit, then screamed in a low, screechy voice and leapt up off of herself. "What in the bloody hell?!" Ron exclaimed, his voice sounding more girly than usual. He gasped, looking at his hands. "W-Why am I a girl?!" He exclaimed.

"Kyaaaaa!" A manly scream exclaimed from Natsu, looking at his hands. "W-Why am I a guy?!" He gasped. "Woah! What the hell?!" Lucy gasped, holding her head. "Gah! Why do you look like me?!" Gray exclaimed, looking at Harry. "I should ask you that!" Harry pointed back. "W-Wait a minute…" Hermione muttered in a low voice, looking at Ron.

"Are you in my body?!" She, or rather Ron, exclaimed, pointing at Hermione, now in Ron's body. "W-Wait, so that means…." Natsu gasped, looking at Lucy. "YOU'RE IN _MY_ BODY?!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at her body. "Woah check it out! I'm a chick! I wonder if my chest is developed yet…" Natsu gasped, reaching for Lucy's chest. "NOOOOOOO!" She exclaimed, hitting Natsu on the head. "I don't know if you're better or worse than Gray!" She yelled. "W-Wait, so how did we switch bodies in the first place?!" Harry, now in Gray's body, exclaimed.

"W-Well that gem thing was glowing before this happened." Hermione pointed, everyone following Ron's finger. Lucy wandered over, her new hands picking up the amulet by the chain. "...Hey Natsu, where did you find this exactly?" Lucy asked, still looking at the amulet. "Oh, outside the Forbidden Magical Items Room. Why?" Natsu asked, tilting his head and folding his arms.

Well, technically Lucy's.

Everyone stood there for a bit, silent. Suddenly, everyone turned to Natsu, their eyes like demons. Their anger could rival a Hellfire. "E-Eh? W-What?" Natsu asked, backing away a bit. "You idiot!" Gray exclaimed, kicking Natsu down. "Why did you take an item outside a Forbidden Magical Items Room?!" Lucy yelled, kicking him as well. It did feel weird she was hitting her body, but she didn't care. It was Natsu.

"B-But it was right outside!" Natsu protested, holding his swollen cheek. "If it's outside a Forbidden Room, don't touch it!" Hermione scolded. "What do we do now?! We can't go to class like this!" Ron yelled, gesturing at his new body. "We have to go to class or they'll punish us!" Lucy yelled, panicking a bit. "B-But maybe a teacher can help us!" Harry reasoned. "Who will be there that won't get mad at us?!" Lucy yelled.

The six muddled up kids stood in front of the Headmaster as he observed the gem. "Hmm…. I must say, this is quite the mess you children befuddled yourselves in. This is was also created by Nicholas Flammel. It gem has the ability to switch bodies with the last person you've had physical contact with. When Flammel released this, he asked me to keep it here to prevent it from causing trouble. But it clearly…." Dumbledore sighed, looking at the six students.

"It seems to have just done that…." He muttered. "Professor Dumbledore, can you turn us back?" Lucy asked. "I reaaaally want to get back into my body…." She grumbled, a shudder going through her spine, or Natsu's. "Unfortunately no. Nicholas told me that the only way for now is wait until the amulet's magic is refilled." Dumbledore explained, putting the necklace down. "Aaaand, how long will it take…?" Hermione asked, a bit scared to ask. Dumbledore sighed, leaning back on his chair. "A day."

"Eh?!" Everyone exclaimed, leaning forward. "A day?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you serious?!" Lucy yelled. "B-But what about classes?!" Harry gasped. Everyone began yelling and talking over each other. "Children, children!" The six of them stopped bickering and looked at Dumbledore. "Relax. Continue your day as normal. It will make the day feel faster. I will explain to the teachers your circumstances. You may go."

Everyone gave a questionable hum at this, but then decided not to think about it, and head towards to door. "And my I just quickly speak with Miss Heartfilia, Mister Dragneel, and Mister Fullbuster please." Dumbledore stopped the three, turning around. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, confused why Dumbledore wanted to talk to them, but left without question.

"Yes sir?" Lucy asked, still getting used to Natsu's deep voice. "Will we still be investigating?" Gray asked, folding his arms. "Indeed. But Mister Fullbuster, now that you are in Mister Potter's body, you will have to be cautious. A lot may happen in a day." Gray nodded. "As for you two, be careful how you use your magic." Dumbledore reminded them. Lucy sighed, rubbing her head. Felt so weird her hair being short and spiky. "Yes sir." She said.

"Man, it's so hot! I need some ice or something. " Lucy sighed, fire drooling from her mouth. "Kya! What the hell?! I need ice! Gray, get me some ice!" Lucy panicked, hands over her mouth. "Sorry Luce, can't. I'm in a different body remember?" Gray reminded her, as they closed the door to the office. "Oh are you kidding me?!" Lucy groaned, trying to push the fire back in her mouth.

"...WAIT A MINUTE!"

"Brrr… why is it so cold…?" Harry jittered, clutching to his arms. "It feels like I've been stranded in the ice caps…." He muttered. "You think you feel weird?! How do you think we feel?!" Ron exclaimed, gesturing to himself and Hermione. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Ron. You feel a little cold, _we're_ different in… well…. Anatomy!" Hermione blurted out. "B-But it's just weird how Gray feels this cold all the time!" Harry jittered.

Hermione sighed, and looked at her friends. "So are we going to each other's classes or not? How are we going to do this?" She asked. "Well, we all chose different classes, so we can't exactly do much talking…." Ron muttered. "We'll do that then. We'll go to each other's classes, but we won't talk or answer any questions." Harry deducted. "Well, that does seem to be our only choice…." Hermione sighed, folding her arms.

"And if someone does ask us?" Ron asked. "Then think of something." Hermione sighed. "Ron, what have you got now?" She asked. "Uh, Magic History I think…. You?" Ron asked back. "Same. So we don't need to worry about that for now." The two then turned to Harry. "Do you know what Gray has now?" Hermione asked. "N-No…. Maybe I'll go find Zach or Justin…." Harry muttered. Hermione nodded. "Right, we better get going then." She said, looking at Ron, giving a nod as they left.

"And don't embarrass me please?" She sighed as they walked. "Hermione, please. When have I ever embarrassed anyone?" Ron asked sarcastically. Harry sighed and walked away, rubbing his arms. "Man, how does Gray survive…?" He gasped, a bit of a frost forming at his hands and mouth as he talked.

"HARRY!" Natsu called out, running through the halls. "This is bad… if he realises Gray's magic, we could be busted to everyone!" Natsu tisked, turning a corner and ran down further down the hall.

"Lucy's so dumb."

Natsu suddenly stopped running, pausing in the shadows outside the door to the balcony above the courtyards. "Remember during our first year? She couldn't even do a simple potion!" Another voice laughed. Natsu walked to the balcony and looked over, three boys snickering below him. "She so doesn't belong in Ravenclaw." The third boy snickered.

"...If you want to say something, then say it to my face."

The boys looked up, shocked. Natsu leaped over the balcony and landed in front of the trio. The boys stepped back, a bit frightened. Natsu looked at them, Lucy's eyes reflecting his anger towards his friend. "Let me tell you something buddy…" Natsu growled, stepping forward towards one of the boys. As he did, the boy stumbled back, quivering a bit.

"I may not be the smartest Ravenclaw, but I am still Ravenclaw. Like it or not, this is the House I was sorted in. And as long as I'm here, I will support the people in my House, as they are my family. I will not talk down to them. So I suggest you treat me with respect, as I have the respect not to pound your face in right now. Understand?" Natsu finished, backing the boy into a corner. "S-Sorry Lucy… I didn't mean t-" The boy began.

Natsu only tisked and turned around. "If you didn't mean to, then don't say them in the first place." He gritted, beginning to walk away. "Look, I don't care what you think of me. All I want is respect. That's all. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading to class." Natsu said calmly, walking away. The other two boys jumped back as Natsu walked between them, and vanished into the hallways.

Natsu gave a sigh as he walked away from the courtyard. "Lucy, why didn't you tell me…." He muttered. He walked past a mirror, and stared at Lucy's face. His mind flashed back to all the times he had seen Lucy smile. Despite everything she had gone through, she always had that smile on her face. He gave a smile, then looked at Lucy's hands. "You really are amazing Luce…" He whispered. "Oh right! I gotta find Harry before something happens!" Natsu remembered, and ran off.

"Argh, why does this have to happen?! We really need to keep Natsu away from ANYTHING with transcripts and magical items!" Lucy gritted, running down the hall. As she slowed down at a T junction, she looked to her right, noticing a door swinging open. From the door emerged Ron as Hermione, storming out. "Ron!" A lower voice called out, Hermione as Ron, running after him. Lucy gave a hum, then walked after them, thinking Harry might meet them later.

"Ron!" Hermione called out, running up to him on the creaky wooden bridge. Ron leaned on the banister, looking over the gauge. "Ron…" Hermione called out, stopping beside him. "...I didn't know….." Ron muttered, looking down. "I am so sorry Hermione… When Professor Binns asked me a high question, I froze. And everyone laughed just because I couldn't answer it for you… The teasing after that, calling me, or you, a mudblood….." Ron whispered. Hermione stayed silent, then sighed looking over the gauge.

"When I first found out I was a witch, I was so excited. I wanted to learn as much as I could! But everyone around me became distant and afraid of me. All my friends were excited at first, but then they became distant and cold. I thought that…. If I could know all I could about magic I would make so much friends. That I would be accepted into an enchanted world. But then people like Draco appeared, calling me a mudblood. That I didn't belong in this world… Because I wasn't born into Wizarding Lineage, I didn't have anything else. Knowledge and study is all I have." Hermione explained. "It's all I have…." She whispered again, looking down as she clasped her hands.

"I'm so sorry… about earlier. About everything I said. I think I understand you a bit better now." Ron smiled, looking at Hermione. "Come on. Let's go back to class." Hermione smiled, taking Ron's hand and leading him back to the castle.

Lucy leaned behind the stone, folding her arms. Thanks to Natsu's ears, she could hear every word. Hermione and Ron passed without feeling her presence. Lucy watched them go back inside, then pushed herself off the rock. " _Hermione…"_ She thought. She looked back at the bridge, no one else there. She gave a sigh and ran back in. "I need to find Harry… I hope he hasn't done anything…" She muttered.

Gray ran as fast as he could down the hallway, trying to find Harry before anything could happen. "Where is he, where is he, where is he, where is he?!" Gray jittered. He turned sharp around the corner and still ran at top speeds.

"Huh?"

"Ack!"

 **BANG!**

"Ow…." Gray tisked, rubbing his head. "Hey watch where you're-" Gray suddenly stopped, gawking. "Crap… Gajeel…" He gawked. "Ow ow ow…. Huh? Harry?" Gajeel groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "A-Ah! Gajeel! So sorry!" Gray scuttled, standing up. "Don't worry about it." Gajeel shrugged, standing up and dusted himself off. "W-Well, sorry!" Gray apologised again, briskly walking past him.

"Wait a minute." Gajeel grabbed Gray by the arm. "Gah!" Gray froze. " _T-This is bad. If Gajeel realises what happened, I'm never going to hear the end of it….!"_ Gray thought. "Y-Yes…?" Gray replied, turning his head slightly to Gajeel. "You alright? You seem more…. Unstable than usual…" Gajeel asked. "W-W-What gives you that idea Gajeel?! You think to much! I-I better get going!" Gray said hastily, snatching his arm out of his hand and continued walking. Gajeel watched as he left, quite confused.

"T-That was close…" Gray painted, briskly walking away. He then felt a stiff hand on his shoulder. "Ahhh!" Gray screamed, his shoulders and spins tingling. "...Gray, is that you?" He asked. " _H-He find out!"_ Gray screamed. "H-How did you know it was me?" Gray asked, turning around. "You just admitted it." Gajeel said, folding his arms. Gray groaned, face palming. "So then, where's Harry?" Gajeel asked.

"He's uh….. In my body…" Gray admitted, sheepishly. "Wait, WHAT?!" Gajeel exclaimed. "W-We're trying to find him before he does anything stupid. Have you seen him?" Gray asked. "Y-Yeah, I saw him heading to the study hall earlier... Well, you, but not you." Gajeel stuttered. "Really?! That's great" Gray exclaimed. "Redfox!" A call echoed. Gray and Gajeel froze, and looked at each other. "Gajeel, please, if anything happens stall for us!" Gray pleaded, before running off. "Y-Yeah, sure." Gajeel promised. "Redfox!" Gray could hear Draco as he ran further away. "Damn it! We need to get to him…!" Gray gritted.

Harry gave a sigh as he walked up the flight of stairs. "I'm so cold I feel like ice cubes are going to drop out of my mouth…" He muttered. Natsu ran out to the tower of stairs, the same time Lucy, Gray, Hermione, and Ron appeared. "Harry!" Lucy exclaimed. "Thank goodness, he hasn't discovered anything yet…" Gray muttered. "Ugh…. thank goodness…." Natsu sighed, leaning over on the banister.

"Nothing to worry about then!" Natsu beamed, turning around. As he did, his heel got caught on the robe. "Ah…." He gasped, feeling himself fall back. "GAAAAAAAH!" He screamed, as he rolled down the stairs. "Huh? Gah!" Lucy screamed, getting hit by the rolling Natsu. "What the-" Harry exclaimed, looking up. "WOAH!" He grunted, joining the human snowball. "Hermione, look out!" Ron exclaimed. He tried pushing her away, but both of them got caught. "Ahhh!" Gray screamed, feeling his back getting pushed.

"Woah woah woah woah woah!" Everyone exclaimed, rolling down the stairs.

 ** _CRASH!_**

"Uh…." Everyone groaned, dizzy from the rolling before passing out.

Natsu forced his eyes open, seeing the ceiling of the Infirmary. "Ow…." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. "Huh?" Natsu looked at his hands, opening and closing them. "Ah! Hey! I'm back in my own body!" Natsu exclaimed, flexing his muscles. Everyone slowly sat up, looking at their hands and feeling their hair. "Yes! Finally!" Lucy beamed, looking at her hands. "That's better." Hermione smiled, looking around the room. "That was such a nightmare…" Ron sighed. "But why does my head hurt…?"Harry asked, feeling a throbbing pain at the back of his head. "Last thing I remember was falling down the stairs…?" Gray muttered, thinking. "We must have passed out and slept through the entire day!" Lucy realised, hitting her palm with her fist.

"Either way, we're back to normal!" Natsu smiled, punching the air. Everyone cheered and smiled, laughing. "As a celebration…" Natsu smiled, using his Requip Magic to summon a bottle. "I stole this from the Potions Classroom! Who wants a sip?" Natsu asked, holding the bottle around.

"ARE YOU FRICKING SERIOUS?!"

 ** _BANG!_**

"Have you learned NOTHING the past day?!"

 ** _THWACK!_**

"We just got out of a predicament, and I am NOT GOING BACK INTO ANOTHER!"

 ** _CRASH!_**

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"


	57. Clutches of Fear

**Hey guys sorry for the late update. I have had a few things I had to do for Uni. Oh the joys... But it's here now! So nothing to worry about. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

It felt like winter came early. With the Dementors flying around, snow and ice caked flowers and glass. Natsu breathed into his cupped hands, a small orange flame curling out. He sighed as he rubbed his hands together. "Man it's cold….." He muttered. "You go into mountains with nothing but a vest and pants, and you're complaining that it's cold now?" Lucy asked, a bit cynical. "I haven't had that much chances to eat fire! So my magic's not keeping me as warm as it used to." Natsu muttered, rubbing his arms.

"Morning guys."

Lucy and Natsu looked up, smiling as Gray and Gajeel walked up to them. "Morning." Lucy smiled back. "Yo." Natsu greeted back.

"So I heard that the others got wind that Sirius Black got passed Dufftown." Gray said, trying to start a conversation. "Course they did. It was in the newspaper after all." Lucy sighed. "You think they might figure it out?" Natsu asked, the four of them in front of the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom. "Hard to say. I doubt it, but Hermione and Harry is smart. They might catch on." Lucy sighed, opening the door. "Well, let's hope we can keep this until the end." Gajeel muttered, closing the door behind them.

"Ah, welcome welcome!" Professor Lupin beamed, welcoming the four students that walked in. "Just join the others over there." Lupus smiled, pointing to the group of students in front of a cupboard. The four looked at each other, then slowly stepped forward to the group.

"Hey Neville." Natsu greeted, walking to his friends. "Oh hey Natsu." Neville smiled, turning around. "What are we doing today?" Natsu asked, folding his arms. "Well-"

 **BANG!**

Everyone jumped, the cupboard moving around. Everyone stood there, staring at the now restless cupboard, the tainted mirrors mocking the slightly scared students.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" The professor asked, walking away from the door to the students. "If anyone would like to venture a guess… as to what is inside…." Lupin asked, slowly making his way towards the cupboard. "That's a boggart that is." A student called out. "Very good Mister Thomas." Lupin smiled, nodding at the student. The cupboard jumped once more, the students gasping a bit. "Now, can anyone tell me, what a boggart… looks like?"

"No one knows."

Ron jumped, looking to his right at the sight of Hermione. "When did she get here?" He whispered to Harry and Natsu, who both simply shrugged.

"Boggarts are shape shifters. They take the form of whatever particular the person fears the most. That's what make them so-"

"So terrifying, yes." Lupin cut her off. "What the person fears the most…?" Lucy muttered, repeating. She suddenly gasped sharply, her mind flashing white. Back to that terrible day with the black dragon. She grabbed onto Natsu's shoulder and squeezed it tightly. "Ow! Lucy, what the-" Natsu suddenly cut himself off. Noticing the white fear in her eyes, staring at the cabinet. "Natsu… I can't do this…." She said, her hand shaking. "Lucy's right." Gray whispered, popping his head between the two. Lucy gasped of fright, letting go of Natsu. "No way I can face Acnologia again. Or Deliora…" Gray muttered, his face full of pain.

"Not to mention, we may get in trouble if this is a scale representation of our fear. We could be facing damages, serious injuries, deaths, and we'd have to blow our cover." Gajeel added.

 _ **BANG!**_

Natsu gasped at the bang, looking back at the supposed boggart in the cabinet. He looked down, gritting. His colleges were right. The fear he felt back on the island was real. If they had to face Acnologia again, even though it is not really him, they could deal with some serious damages.

"Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we?" Lupin asked with a cheerful hop in the feet. "Oh, and without wands please." He asked. "Now, repeat after me. Riddikulus."

"Riddikulus." Everyone repeated. "Very good. A little louder, and very clear. Riddikulus." Lupin repeated. "Riddikulus!" Everyone yelled. "Pft. This class is ridiculous…" Malfoy muttered, his arm still in a gray rag.

"Very good. Well so much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What it really finishes a boggart, is laughter." Everyone tilted their heads and looked at each other, wondering what he meant. "You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain. Uh… Neville! Will you join me please?" Lupin asked.

Neville seemed a bit hesitant, then slowly stepped forward to his teacher. Bangs continued to rattle as Neville inched closer. "Come on now, don't be shy. Lupin said with a smile. "Now, Neville, what frightens you most of all?" Lupin asked. "...Pro…. ser… Sn…." Neville muttered, looking down. "Pardon?" Lupin asked. "Professor Snape…" Neville admitted, a bit louder. "Professor Snape." Lupin chuckled, along with the entire class. "Well, frightens all." Lupin muttered with a smile.

"And I believe you live with you grandmother?" The professor asked. "Y-Yes, but I don't want that boggart to turn into her either." Neville said with a worry. "Oh no it won't" The teacher comforted, looking back at the cupboard, still jiggling about.

"I want you to picture her clothes and ONLY her clothes very clearly in your mind." Lupin orders. "W-Well, she carries a red handbag-" Lupin cut him off, telling him that he need not to explain it, as long Neville pictured it, they will all see it. "Now when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do."

Lupin walked towards Neville, and bent down to whisper in his ear. Natsu and Gajeel stood there for a bit, before snorting out a laugh. Lupin stood up, looking at the two boys, confused. "Something funny you two?" He asked. Natsu shook his head as he held onto his mouth, while Gajeel cleared his throat, shaking his head. "What did you hear?" Lucy asked the two. "Watch and you'll see." Natsu smirked, pointing forward.

"Can you do that?" Lupin asked, turning back to Neville, him nodding. "Alright." Lupin pulled out his wand and waved it at the door. "Wand at the ready." Neville grabbed his wand, and pointed at the cabinet. "Three… two…. one…"

Lupin swished his wand, a huge click came from the door and the knob sharply turned. The door creaked open, a pale hand grasping the door. It pushed open, and there emerged a spitting image of Snape. It stepped down facing Neville in the eye. "Think Neville think…" Lupin whispered, hiding a bit behind Neville.

Neville took a deep breath and pointed his wand at the boggart. "Riddikulus!" Neville yelled. The boggart took a step back, its clothes changing into the clothes Neville had in his mind. Everyone burst out laughing. The strict and terrifying Snape, was dressed in skirt, stockings, a hat with a dead bird on his head, carrying a red bag that complimented the faux jacket.

"Wonderful! Wonderful Neville! To the back now. Everyone form a line!" Lupin ordered.

Everyone lined up instantly, giggling with excitement, and a bit scared. There was a bit of shoving and pushing, but everyone managed to get into a line. Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel stood on the side, watching the others line up. "Hm? You four not going to take part?" Lupin asked. "O-Oh! No, I feel uncomfortable…. I don't want people to know what I'm afraid of…." Lucy explained. "Oh? And what about you three?" The professor asked, looking at the boys, who responded with turning their heads away.

Their faces looked as if a bad memory was triggered.

Everyone looked at the four of them, wondering what was going on through their minds. Or more accurately…. Wondering what they were afraid of.

"I see… well, you're welcome to jump in at any time." Lupin smiled, looking at the rest of the class. "Well, let's get on with the lesson! Now, I want you to picture what you are afraid of the very most. And turn it into something funny." He repeated, putting on music. "Next, Ron!"

One by one, the students came up, imagining their worst fears. Spiders, clowns, snakes, and insects. Soon it was Harry's turn. He stood at the center of the room, the boggart trying to make him out. Lucy's eyes squinted, looking at Natsu. She could see it in the boys, something was wrong. Lupin observed Harry, before realising what Harry might be thinking of. The boggart swished around, before taking its final form.

A Dementor.

It flew towards Harry, jaw opened, hands like spiders. Lucy gasped, running forward. "Lucy, don't!" Natsu gasped, grabbing her wrist. Lupin jumped in front in front of Harry, the boggart observing him. The boggart spun and shifted, until it revealed Remus's biggest fear.

"What…?" Natsu gasped, still holding onto Lucy. "A moon…?" Gray muttered. Lupin stared at the boggart, before pointing at the boggart. It transformed into a balloon and flew around the room, everyone dodging the rouge balloon, before it flew back into the cabinet.

Harry panted, staring at the cabinet. "S-Sorry about that… anyway, that's the end of the lesson. If you would like to collect your books and head to class."

"Awww…" The students who didn't have a turn groaned. "Sorry! Got a bit carried away…" Lupin apologise, before looking to Harry, a bit in a trance. "Harry…" Lucy comforted, running up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Huh?" Harry gasped, looking at Lucy, Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu behind her. "Are you alright?" She asked. "I…." He stuttered. He took a deep breath, then nodded at Lucy. "Yeah…" He smiled a bit. "Alright. Let's go." Lucy encouraged. "Actually can you four please meet me in my office? Harry, go ahead." Lupin asked, gesturing Harry to go ahead.

"Uh…." Everyone muttered and looked at each other. "We'll talk later Harry." Lucy smiled, heading to Lupin's office with the boys. "Okay…" Harry muttered, before leaving the classroom.

The four stood in front of Lupin, who gave a deep sigh. "...I know you four don't want to face your pasts…. But this is a monster you may face in the future. I need to see you perform this spell."

Lucy's eyes opened wide in horror, along with the boys. "No…. no no no no sir you don't understand…. The fear we have witnessed is nothing compared to what you have seen…" Lucy gritted, leaning forward on his desk. "We? So you all have the same fear?" Lupin asked, raising his eyebrow.

Lucy jerked back, realising what she just said. "W-Well, we don't all have the same fear per say, but-" Gray placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him as he smiled slightly, and gently pushed her back. "Professor..." Gray began. "What Lucy said is true. We've witnessed some things that no one could imagine." Gray said. "Is that so? Like what?" Lupin asked, leaning forward. Quite intrigued.

The four students looked at each other, then looked at the professor. "We can't say sir…" Gajeel said sternly. Lupin raised an eyebrow and gave a sigh, leaning back. "Well." He said, putting his hand down with a bit of a slam. "If you're ever too afraid, you can always come for a private session. You may go." He offered. "T-Thank you sir…." Lucy bowed, everyone copying her. The minute they all left, Lupin leaned forward, hands intertwined in front of his mouth.

"They really are devoted…" He muttered.

"Of course. That's what makes them special." A voice floated from behind him.

"And if they find out?" Lupin asked, not turning around.

"They will not act." The voice told him.

"You sure they won't? Once they find out who I am…" Lupin sighed, standing up, walking around the desk.

"Trust me. Unless you threaten one of them, or the students, they will not act."

Lupin sighed and turned around with a smile. "Alright. I trust you. As we have always trusted you….." And with that, Lupin left the classroom to visit an old friend.


	58. The Black Past

Lucy, Gray, Natsu and Gajeel sat together, away from everyone else during their free study period. Unbenounced to them, their roommates crowded at the entrance of the room, spying on them. "So… what do you think they're afraid of?" Ron asked, not tearing his eyes away from them. Natsu visibly sighed, putting his quill on top of his lip and puckered. Lucy looked at him, her facial expressions looking annoyed. He said something to her before holding his quill again, reaching over the table.

"Must be something big. Since they refused to participate with the Boggart." Zach whispered. "I wonder if they share the same fear…" Padma muttered, pushing a bit on Neville. "I doubt it. Besides Natsu and Lucy, they don't know each other." Semus chimed in. "Even so, Lucy said she and Natsu never met until the first year of Hogwarts." Harry said.

"What are you doing?"

Everyone turned around, seeing Ron's brothers walk up to them. "W-We were just wondering what Natsu and the others are afraid of…" Ernie admitted, pointing to the other room where the four Fairies were sitting.

George and Fred walked around the large group and peeped into the room, the four of them bickering about something probably stupid.

"Why do you want to know what they're afraid of?" Fred asked, looking at the group. "W-Well, we were learning about boggarts and we needed to practice the spell. And they flat out refused to take part. So we're just curious of what they're afraid of now…." Justin admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Fred looked back, watching the four now having a physical tug.

"What the hell's your deal you icey bastard?!"

"What was that lava brain?!"

"Give me back my stuff Salamander!"

"Will you three knock it off already?!"

The people outside watching them groaned a bit, watching them fight for probably the twentieth time this month. "Hmmm…. Aaaah…" The twins gasped, looking at each other with a mischievous twinkle in their eye. "Okay, how about this?" The twins asked, turning to the spying group. Everyone tilted their heads and looked at each other. "How about…" Fred began. "A little game?" George ended.

"The Let's-Find-Out-What-They're-Afraid-Of Game!" The twins chanted in unison. "What?" Everyone gawked. "The first house who can find out what they're afraid of…" George sang. "Will have the authority to do whatever they want to the other houses." Fred finished.

"What?" Cho gawked, a bit appalled by this suggestion. "You sure that's a good idea? I mean… we should respect their privacy and all…." Neville muttered. "But it'll be fun!" The twins argued. Everyone stayed silent for a bit. They looked at each other, then back at the four now Natsu, Gajeel and Gray on the floor knocked out with multiple bumps on their head, Lucy furiously writing in her book, steam puffing from her head. They looked at each other again, then back of the twins.

Their eyes showed it. Their curiosity had gotten the better of them.

The twins gave a smirk, and declared who would be the first to find out all their fears would be the winners. "Let the games begin!"

Later that day, the Gryffindors lazed around in the main area of the common room. Natsu layed down on the couch, tossing a ball up and down in the air. Semus, Ron, Neville, and Harry sat in the corner table, staring at him with a hum.

"...Soooo Natsu…." Semus began. "Hm? What's up?" Natsu asked, sitting up and tossing the ball between his hands. "We were just wondering…. What are you afraid of?" Semus asked. "What am I… afraid of…?" Natsu repeated. His eyes jerked opened, flashing back to Tenrou Island. That black and blue monster's roar calling out in his mind, before a beam of blue fired into his eyes.

"Natsu…. NATSU!"

Natsu snapped back into reality, blinking at his room mates, who were now in front of his face. Harry's hand was on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Are you alright? You zoned out for a bit…" Neville asked, a bit concerned.

"Ah….hahaha….Ahahahahahahahaha!" Natsu bursted out laughing, shocking his four room mates. "I'm not afraid of anything. Why do you ask?" Natsu asked with an unconcerned smile. "W-Well in DADA, you didn't want to participate in the boggart repelling activity…. And just then you seemed in a state of shock. Like you remembered something…" Semus stuttered. Natsu just chuckled and stood up. "Well, I have to meet up with Lucy. I'll catch you guys later." Natsu smiled, heading towards the door. "Y-Yeah…." The other boys nodded, watching Natsu leave.

"...Okay, now I'm curious…." Ron muttered. The four boys looked at each other, thinking. "...First one to get Happy to spill gets everyone's dinner sharings!" Ron exclaimed, running up the stairs. Semus gasped, pulling his robe causing Ron to fall. As he did, Seamus tumbled over him, getting up the stairs first. Neville and Harry followed behind, the four boys tugging at each other trying to get to the dorm first.

As they ran up, Happy yawned sitting up from his comfy hiding spot, pushing the pillow covering his entire body. He rubbed his eyes with his paw, looking at the four clammering up the stairs. "What are they doing…" Happy yawned, spreading his wings. He flew to the window, shoving it opened. "I might go nap in the sun…" He muttered, flying down in a daze.

Gray hummed walking to his next class, his mind in a daze. His three roommates peeped behind the column, watching him walk down the hallway. Ernie knocked Justin on the chest, Justin nodding as he took out his wand. Zach and Ernie looked at each other and nodded. They both emerged from their hiding place, and ran in front of Gray.

"Hey Gray!" Ernie smiled, placing a hand on on Gray's chest, stopping him. "Hey you two…." Gray muttered, darting his eyes between Ernie and Zach. "So we've been meaning to ask…. Why did you not take part in the boggart exercise? Are you afraid of anything?" Zach asked. "Huh?" Gray gawked. "I hope this works…." Justin muttered, raising his wand. "Why do you-"

"Legilimens!" Justin chanted, pointing at Gray.

Suddenly Justin's mind went into a void. His mind suddenly transported him to a village in ruins. People were screaming, fire and rubble everywhere. He was running through, arms swinging and he was panting. " _W-Where am I….? What is this…?!"_ He thought, running through the apocalyptic area.

"Mom! Dad! Where are you?!" His voice rang out. " _Wait… was that me who said that?! Wait…. Am I…. Gray….?"_ Justin gasped. He turned a corner, seeing a man on the ground, blood running down his head. His eyes opened and blank. "DAD!" Justin screamed, kneeling down, shaking the man. " _Dad…? This is Gray's father…?"_ Justin thought, shaking the man.

 _ROAAAAAR!_

Gray's memory lead Justin to look up. Justin gasped, his eyes widened. A monster walked over them, kicking a building down. He gave a roar, as Justin could feel tears running down his face. The fear in his chest… He didn't know if it was Gray's or his own. " _What is that thing….?!"_ Justin gasped. " _Is this…. What Gray is afraid of?!"_ He jittered.

"...No….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Gray cried out, before his mind went blank.

" _...Don't cry Gray…."_

Justin's eyes opened, as he floated in darkness in Gray's child body.

" _Deliora is gone…. Do not cry…."_

The darkness slowly turned into a bright light, a beautiful woman with short black hair bending over, extending her hand. " _I have gotten rid of him forever. You have no need to cry…"_ She smiled. "B-But Ur… I…." Gray cried, hugging his knees looking down. " _Do not cry…. He is gone. You saved my daughter and Leon. You have done more than enough…. Gray…."_ The woman smiled. Gray looked up, extending his hand. But before he could grab it, another ferocious roar came from behind him.

Justin uncontrollably turned around, and gasped. There stood a tall black dragon with white eyes and blue patterns on his body. " _W-What the…?!"_ Justin gasped.

"RUN!" Justin heard a cry, before his feet carried him down a path, nothing in front of him. He looked back, catching a glimpse of a buff man with a lightning scar, a man with silver hair and a young girl with silver hair, both looking a bit like Professor Strauss, and a woman with aqua hair. The dragon roared, wind rooting up trees and blowing everyone away.

Everyone screamed, being caught by the wind. "Gray-sama!" The woman in the aqua hair called out, reaching for him. "JUVIA!" A deeper voice called out from Justin's vision, an adult male hand reaching out for the woman.

Suddenly it all stopped. Justin blinked, looking around. He was back in Hogwarts. Gray waved to Ernie and Zach, both of them waving back. As soon as Gray disappeared from their sights, Ernie and Zach rushed to Justin, still in a daze. "Justin! Did you see anything?" Zach asked, smiling.

Justin stood there, then collapsed. "J-Justine?!" Ernie gasped. "Hey Justine! Are you alright?! What happened?! What did you see?!" Zach asked, catching him in time. "Justin?! JUSTIN!" And with that, Justin's vision went black.

"Justin! Justin!" The boys cried.

"...Hey, what the hell happened to him?"

The two boys turned around, Gajeel standing there with a hand on his hip. "G-Gajeel…!" The boys gasped, unable to move. Gajeel rushed over to him, kneeling down. He felt Justin's forehead, drenched in sweat. He gave a hum, and stood up. He picked up Justin's body and put him on his shoulders and back. "I'll take him to the infirmary. You two get to class." He said with a cold tone, walking away. The two boys looked at each other again, wondering what Justin had seen.

 **Later in the Infirmary**

"So… he saw Gray's memories…?" Wendy asked, worried as she looked at Justin resting on the bed. "Yeah. I saw him cast the charm on Gray. I was curious on what that charm was, so I looked it up in one of my books. And when I found out, I had to do something. Luckily he passed out, making it easier to take him here." Gajeel explained, looking down at Justine.

"I see…. Well then, what should we do?" Erza asked, looking at the two old men across the room. "Hm…." Makarov hummed, then looked at Dumbledore. "It's your student and your mission to us. What do you think is best?" Makarov asked. Dumbledore hummed, walking to Justin's side. "... We will remove his memories." Dumbledore decided.

"Are you sure sir?" Levy asked. "Is it wise to meddle in one's memory?" Mira asked. "Do not worry. I will store this memory. I know they'll find out the truth eventually, but we must protect the students for as long as we can so they will not be exposed to danger." Dumbledore explained. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Justin's side of his head. He twisted the wand and pulled back. As he did, a blue stream flowed out of his brain.

"Is that the memory…?" Erza gasped. "Yes." Dumbledore replied, and stored the memory in a beautiful crystal vile. "He should be safe. For now." Dumbledore nodded. "Thank goodness… I don't want to see the students suffer just because they know us…." Wendy smiled, relieved. "Although…. There's a part of me that wants to tell them… they are our friends… and I don't want to hide these secrets any longer…. And I feel the others feel that way too…." Gajeel admitted.

Everyone stayed silent, and looked down. A soft hand was placed on his shoulder, Gajeel looking up. "We will tell them one day. But not now. As we are still figuring out who to trust." Dumbledore smiled. Gajeel stayed silent, then looked down again. "For now, continue your day like normal. Have a good day." Dumbledore bowed, and walked out, tucking the vile in his sleeve.

"...Gajeel, you should get to class." Erza reminded him. "Huh? Oh… yeah…." Gajeel nodded, and left for his class. "I wonder why did Justine have a sudden interest in Gray's past?" Wendy wondered. The teachers hummed, looking at Justine. "I hope no one else found out…" Erza muttered.

Lucy sat at the table in the Main Hall, scribbling down a few notes in her book. She hummed, dipping her quill in the inkwell.

 _SLAM!_

Lucy jumped a bit, looking up. There sat Cho and Padma, leaning their faces on their fists, elbows propped up on a pile of books. "W-What's all that?" Lucy sweatdropped, looking at the pile of books. "Just some old books we found." Padma stated, slamming her palm on top of the pile. "Wanna take a look?" Cho asked, handing her a book.

"Uh… sure….?" Lucy said, a bit unsure as she took the book. She opened the book, and her face turned to flat out confused. "Guah?" She gawked, eye and mouth twitching and her upper face turned blue.

"W-Why the hell are you showing me this?!" She exclaimed, turning the book around pointing to her roommates the picture. What it was was a man strapped to a table, his entrails pulled out by a man in a crow mask and a cloak. It was very… attentive to detail.

"It's a book about the Dark History of Magic. I thought it would be useful." Cho said with no remorse of what she showed Lucy. "What?!" Lucy exclaimed. " _More annoyed than scared…"_ Padma thought. "Maybe this book?" She suggested, grabbing the book Lucy was holding and slipping another book into her hands. "Uh….." Lucy hummed, slowly opening up the book. There was a giant spider staring at Lucy in the face.

"...Why are you showing me this?" Lucy asked, blandly looking up. "We just thought we'd help you find some good reading materials is all. Hey! How about this?" Cho asked, picking up a Muggle book and opened a page to a scary clown under the subject of "Muggle Birthdays."

"How is this good reading material?!" Lucy exclaimed, a tick mark on the back of her head. "Hm…" Padma hummed, picking up a red leather book with a Dragon indented on the leather. She opened it to a random page, and showed it to Lucy. "Hey, look at this dragon! Isn't this a cool one?" She asked, pointing at a red dragon. "Uh… I guess…?" Lucy muttered. "What about this one?" Padma asked, turning the page to a beautiful eastern dragon. "It's pretty I guess…" Lucy admitted. "What about this one?" Padma asked, turning the page again.

"Huh? What are you two-" She started to scold her roommates, then she looked at the picture. It was a black dragon with blue patterns on its body. She gasped, and fell off her chair as her lips quivered. "Lucy? Are you alright?" Cho asked, a bit shocked of Lucy's sudden fall. Her eyes were blank, lips slightly opened. "Lucy?" Padma gasped. "A….. Acno….." She stuttered. "Acno?" The girls repeated, confused. Lucy gasped and stood up, patting her uniform down. "I-I'm sorry. I have to go meet Natsu now." She said, packing her items in a haste and left without a goodbye.

" _That dragon… looked like Acnologia…. But it's not him…. It's not…. The patteren's different, and so are its eyes…. It's not him…. Calm down…. It's not him…"_ Lucy panted, trying to calm herself down.

Cho and Padma watched her leave, then looked at each other. "So…. she's afraid of dragons….?" Cho asked. "No… she only had a reaction to this one…." Padma muttered, turning the book over to them, looking at the black and blue dragon. "Why is she so afraid of this dragon…?" Cho wondered, staring into the dragon's white and black eyes. "Hm… don't know. But whatever the reason… It can't be good…." Padma muttered.

Both girls stared at the dragon, imagining what horrible feat Lucy would have to go through….. To make her afraid of a dragon that disappeared four hundred years ago.


	59. NO CHAPTER TODAY

**Hi guys**

 **I have some terrible news. Unfortunately, there will be no chapter today, as the main computer I write my story on has decided to go pining for the fjords, and I also have some uni papers I have to finish so I didn't have much time on this week's chapter. :'(**

 **Sooooo sorry I was looking forward to realising it! Why life why?! D'X**

 **Anyway, sit tight for a bit longer and hopefully I'll have it up by next week if and when my computer gets fixed!**

 **Thanks for understanding**

 **Starway1123**


	60. Love Conquers All

**Hey guys**

 **So my computer's still bust and the old one I have right now is laggy as hell, AND I have a paper to write, so it hasn't been much of a productive week...s**

 **But you guys have been SOOOO good and patient, that I thought I'd give you guys a special side chapter that I think you'll REAAAAALLY approve of unless you don't, but hey whatever floats your boat! :D**

 **I wasn't planning to do it this early, but hey, my story I can do what I want :D**

 **Also, if you don't know what "pining for the fjords" means, SHAME FOR NOT WATCHING MONTY PYTHON'S PARROT SKETCH! :(**

 **Joking, I still love you all. It basically means it's dead.**

 **Enjoy~!**

"Hey Lucy! Lucy! Where are you?!" Natsu called out, wandering through the area where they were supposed to meet. "Where could she be?" Natsu muttered, scratching his head. He wandered the room a bit more, until he heard a soft movement coming underneath one of the tables. He strolled over, and ducked down. He gave a slight shocked expression, as it was Lucy, her back turned to him and her body in a ball. She sat there silent, either ignoring or just oblivious to Natsu being there.

"Lucy, what are you doing under the table? Did something happen?" Natsu asked, crawling under the table and sat next to Lucy, tucking his legs in. She didn't say anything, only shifting her head slightly to the side. "...Hey, Natsu...…" She whispered. "Yeah?" Natsu asked, leaning a bit closer to Lucy. "Do you think that Acnologia…. Didn't come from Earthland…?"

"Hah? What are you talking about Lucy?" Natsu asked with the tilt of his head. Lucy turned around fully, her arms clutching a red leather book. She grabbed the sides, the cover revealing a dragon emblem on the cover. She extended it over to Natsu, who took it from her slowly. He opened to the book to the bookmarked page, flipping the pages through. "W-What the…?!" He gasped, looking at the picture.

"Cho and Padma showed me…. I-I was so shocked, so I went to the library and found a copy… I read it through, and… well…." She whispered, looking down. Natsu could hardly speak as he stared at the picture. "W-Went missing four hundred years ago…?" He stuttered, reading the information of the dragon. Lucy nodded. "B-But the thing is… look at its eyes, its pattern…" She pointed out. Natsu hummed and took a closer look. She was right. This dragon's eyes seemed…. Calmer than Acnologia's. And the body patterns were different to his. "What does this mean then…?" Natsu muttered, shaking.

Lucy shook her head, then dug her head into her knees. "I don't know…. But seeing that picture…. And the boggart…. Top all of that with the Dementors and Voldemort trying to come back…! It's too much for me!" Lucy cried. Natsu looked at Lucy, softly breathing as she sobbed. "And last year I couldn't even get Gray back when I got the chance! Ginny nearly died, I'm an embarrassment to my House, I nearly exposed us when Hermione saw me with Virgo, I'm just….. So useless here!" She screamed, crying harder.

Natsu didn't know what to say, witnessing Lucy's mental breakdown. He reached his hand over to her cheek, gently forcing her to look at him. "Lucy, you're not useless…." He reassured. "Remember what I said? About me inviting you to Fairy Tail?" He whispered gently. Lucy looked at him, her tears still pouring down her face. "I knew you were one of us the moment I met you Luce. You're brave, talented, and smart. We wouldn't have gotten this far without you. Plus, if you weren't here, Gray, Gajeel, and I would have probably burnt the whole castle down by now." Natsu chuckled. He then looked at Lucy with a comforting smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's because of you…. That I can smile….." He whispered. "Natsu…" Lucy muttered.

Slowly, Natsu inched closer and closer to Lucy's face, slowly closing his eyes. Lucy was frozen, noticing what Natsu wanted to do. But for some reason, she didn't want to pull away. As he came in closer, she slowly closed her eyes waiting.

"I love you…. Lucy…."

And with those words, Lucy felt a soft, warm pressure on her lips. Her chest felt overwhelming heat, her heart beating faster. She cried as she sat there, slowly putting her arms around Natsu's neck, Natsu's arms around Lucy's waist. They stayed there for a while, before Lucy pulled away, Natsu cupping her face and smiling as he rested his forehead against Lucy's.

"We'll get through together Lucy. Just like how Fairy Tail has always done it." He smiled. He pulled his forehead away, looking at her again. "I'm really happy… that you're my fiance." He whispered, kissing her on the forehead. Lucy smiled, her tears turning from ones of fear and sadness, to ones of happiness and joy.

"Come on. I doubt you want to stay down there forever." Natsu encouraged, crawling back out and extended his hand to Lucy, who took it with no hesitation at all. Natsu pulled her up, accidently using a bit too much strength as Lucy bumped into his chest a bit. They shared a smile, as Natsu held her hand and ran with her down the hallway.

" _You said you wanted to be a member of Fairy Tail right? Well come on!"_

Lucy's mind flashed back to the present time, as she watched Natsu ran in front of her. She smiled warmly, all her fears gone. As long as she had Fairy Tail, she had nothing to fear.

Nothing at all.


	61. The Trip to Hogsmeade

**May update**

"Come on guys we're going to be late!" Natsu shouted, running towards the courtyard in his casual winter beige jumper and jeans. "Wait up meathead!" Gray called after him, skidding around the corner in his winter get-up. Not that he needed it. Lucy was behind Gray, her pink fur coat feeling nice and warm from the crisp cold. Thank you Virgo! "What about Gajeel?" Lucy panted, skidding behind Gray. "Already there!" Natsu called back.

The three of them ran to the courtyard, and straight pass Filch and Makarov, who were collecting the permission slips. Swiftly, they each handed them in and joined the class. "Hey man." Natsu nodded, passing Gajeel with a nod. "Mmm." Gajeel nodded back, somewhat ignoring them as he was standing right next to Draco.

"Now remember, these visits to Hogsmeade are a privilege. Show you show any worrying behaviour in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again!" McGonnigal warned as the students crowded around the entrance of the school. Harry was the last to arrive, handing in an empty sheet to his house head. "No sheet signed, no going. That's the rules Potter." McGonagall said in a strict tone.

"Those with permission, follow me. Those without, stay put." Filch said with a gruff. "U-Um Professor McGonagall… I was wondering if you'd sign this for me then maybe I could go…" Harry asked, pushing the paper towards her a bit. "I'm sorry Potter, only a parent or guardian can sign the document, since I am neither it will only be inappropriate." She explained, walking past him. Harry's face slowly turned to disappointment. He blinked, before giving an irritated sigh. He turned around watching the others leave as McGonagall turned to face him. "I'm sorry Potter…. That's my final word... " She said as she put her hand on his shoulder, her eyes reflecting sadness for him, and walked away.

Harry rubbed the back of his head, his friends looking at him with pitying eyes. "Sorry dude..." Gray muttered, patting his hand on his shoulder and followed the others. "Maybe next year…" Gajeel encouraged, giving his shoulder a fist bump and swiftly followed his room mates. "We'll bring you back something Harry. Promise." Lucy smiled. "Yeah! I'll get you some sweets or something." Natsu promised with a thumbs up. Harry gave a slight smile, nodding, as Natsu left, Lucy around his arm.

Finally Ron and Hermione were left. Harry gave a disappointed smile, nodding at the group. "It's okay. Go on." Harry said. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then ran off to the group before they left, giving a final wave.

"Wooooooooow…." Everyone gasped. "This looks like a frickin' Christmas town!" Natsu yelled excitedly. Hogsmeade was blanketed in clean white snow, shops glowing a warm light from within. Couples huddled close to each other, smiling and pointing at the windows. It was almost as if it straight out of a Christmas card. "Now remember children, act accordingly and meet back here in three hours. Now go and enjoy yourselves." McGonagall smiled, the children dispersing.

"This is amazing….. I'd love to live in a town like this…." Gray smiled, wandering around with his roommates. "It's pretty cool isn't it?" Susan smiled, clapping her hands together. Justin, Zach, and Ernie walked behind them, grumbling a bit. "So you're telling me you don't remember anything?" Ernie whispered to Justin. "Nope, nothing…. But I feel like I should remember something…." Justin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Should do it again then?" Zach muttred. "No way! We agreed that spell would be a one time deal! If we get caught we might as well kiss Hogwarts goodbye!" Ernie hissed.

The three boys sighed, looking at Gray and Susan sharing a box of chocolates. "Well… maybe it's for the best… if he trusts us, he'll tell us eventually. We shouldn't force it out of him." Justin smiled. Zach and Ernie looked at each other, sighing. "Guess you're right…." Zach agreed. "Hey, you guys gonna eat some?" Gray asked, shaking the box in front of them. "Yeah coming!" The boys smiled, walking towards the duo. Suddenly, the box glowed and floated slightly out of Gray's hands. It zoomed to the side, landing in the hands of a certain pink haired boy.

"I got it! Run!" Natsu cried, Ron, Seamus, Neville, and himself zooming off laughing. "Natsu you lava mouthed bastard!" Gray gritted, running off after him. "Not cool Gryffindor!" Ernie yelled, running after them, the Hufflepuffs running after them.

"Huh?" Lucy looked to the side, just noticing the Gryffindors being chased by angry Hufflepuffs in a cloud of dust and snow. She sweatdropped, her face deadpanned. "What the hell did they do…?" She muttered. "Hey Lucy, check this out!" Lucy looked in front of her, Cho and Padma looking through a window. Lucy walked over to them, looking at what they were pointing at. They were pointing at hazelnut haired plush doll sitting pretty in a pink dress and bonnet. Lucy gasped, and leaned in. Her mind flashed back to her days of the mansion with her family, receiving Michelle for the first time.

"Isn't it pretty?" Cho sighed, Padma giggling. "It is isn't it?" She smiled. Lucy stood there for a bit, before smiling. "Yeah…. She really is…." Lucy said, a tear rolling down her face. "Eh?! L-Lucy are you okay? Is something wrong?" Cho asked, concerned for her friend. Lucy shook her head and wiped her eyes. "No, it's fine." She reassured. Cho and Padma looked at each other, before looking back at Lucy. "Uh Lucy?" Padma began. "Yes?" Lucy responded. "U-Um…. The other day… why did you run away from that dragon…?" She asked. Lucy looked at them shocked, then looked down at the snow. "I… I'm sorry…. It's something I don't like talking about…" Lucy muttered, avoiding her roommates gazes. Cho and Padma looked at each other, before tending to Lucy. "W-We're sorry. We won't bring it up again." Cho promised, Padma nodding. "Come on, let's go. I saw a sweets shop down here! Let's go there!" Cho smiled, pointing. Lucy smiled, nodding, and the girls walked down the path.

Gajeel sighed, folding his arms leaning against the wall. "This is creepy you know. Stalking a girl." He muttered, looking at Draco and his goons hiding in the alleyways. "Shut up!" Draco hissed. "That girl is up to something, and I'm not going to let this go!" He gritted. "This is stupid. I'm going to look around." Gajeel gruffed, walking away. He walked around, children laughing and ran past him. He hummed, looking at a window, displaying a dollhouse filled with a happy family inside.

He gave a sigh, walking on. He walked past a dark alleyway, his mind zoned out. "You'll never catch us!" A cry from the alleyway echoed. "Huh?" He hummed, before feeling a crash. "Ggack!" He spat, his back hitting the soft snow.

"What the-?! Gajeel?!"

"Salamander?!"

"Natsu there you are!"

Another force of pressure fell on Gajeel, as he gasped a bit from the pressure. "Get off me Ice Princess!" Natsu demanded, "Give me back the chocolates Natsu!" Gray demanded. "NEVER!" Natsu proclaimed.

"Get him Natsu!"

"Gray don't leave empty handed!"

The Huffles and Gryffindors cheered.

"Will you two get off?!" Gajeel demanded, and with a swift punch forced them into the air with a twinkle where they left the atmosphere. Gajeel stood up, patting himself and walked off as if nothing happened, all witnesses watching slowly watching him as he left. "W-Well….. Didn't see that coming…." Ron muttered.

"Ooof!"

"Ack!"

The two landed, dizzy and covered in snow. Everyone chuckled awkwardly and went to their friends to help them up. "Damn that Gajeel…" Natsu tisked, brushing the snow out of his hair.

Everyone laughed, entering the school. Everyone brought back trinkets and souvenirs from their visit of the little Christmas town. "I can't believe you stole from Gray! No scratch that, I CAN believe that!" Lucy scolded, walking through the main gates with her friends. "Oh come on Luce, it's just a bit of fun." Natsu whined. Lucy groaned, both of them approaching the stairway. "Well, I'll see you tonight for the meeting." Lucy whispered. "Yeah, see you then." Natsu whispered back, giving her a peck on the lips which Lucy accepted before they parted ways.

"Now gotta give this to Harry…" Natsu muttered, holding up a box of sweets. As he walked up the stairs to his Common Room, he could here a worried commotion. "What the…?' He bolted up the stairs, the feeling of panic slowly forming over him as he edged closer and closer to the Common Room. When he got there, he gasped almost dropping his stuff.

The Fat Lady…. She was gone! And the entry was torn to shreds! The painting around the tower wailed and cried, most of them in shock. "W-What happened…?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Let me through please! Excuse me, I am Head Boy!" Percy exclaimed, pushing himself closer to the room. "Get back all of you, no one is to enter the dorm until this has been settled. Remain calm, all of you! You! Return to your Common Room!" Percy ordered. Dumbledore softly pushed past the crowd, ordering everyone to move, Filch following behind. As Dumbledore examined the horrible damage, everyone watched in shock. "Filch, round up the paintings and ghosts. We need to find The Fat Lady." Dumbledore ordered.

"No need Professor. The Fat Lady is there…" Filch pointed, everyone looking at where he was pointing. In a rush, everyone ran up the stairs, pushing and shoving each other. "Where do you think you're going?! I'm Head Boy!" Percy exclaimed, getting squished by the bombardment.

Everyone stopped at a safari painting, everyone moving for Dumbledore. "Dear lady, who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked in the gentlest of voices. The lady shook as she stood up from behind her hiding spot. She mumbled and stuttered, not making a word of sense. "Calm down dear lady, and tell us what happened." Dumbledore soothed. The lady took a deep breath and began to speak. "It was him… Headmaster… the one they all talk about?! He's here! Somewhere in the castle! It's Sirius Black!"

Natsu's eyes jolted open. Everyone began to panic and scream once she uttered the name. Natsu slowly stepped back, and ran as fast as he could to the meeting room. He had to tell them. But it didn't make sense! No sense at all!

" _What the hell is going on…?!"_


	62. Human or Monster?

Everyone waited, anxious of what was happening. Lucy's fist was to her lips, her leg shaking at the table. Erza was in the dome, keeping an eye on the situation, everyone else lingered around the room, blankly staring into suspicions and confusions.

Erza came down to the main area, her face stoic, as Natsu and Gray entered the room, their faces confused, and worried. "Well? How did it go?" Makarov asked, looking up to the boys. Gray and Natsu stayed silent for a while, before replying. "He…. He said no…" Natsu said with a bit of a mutter. "What? Then if it isn't him, then who….?" Levy muttered. Mavis looked down, hand to her chin. "Even though I trust a family member of Percival, I don't know if he is right to make this decision…." She admitted. Everyone stayed silent, then Makarov looked to his Godmother. "Master Mavis…. I trust Dumbledore. If he said no, then I trust him." He said firmly.

Everyone stayed silent, then Erza sighed, looking around the room. "Well, what should we do?" She asked. "Dumbledore asked us to patrol the school. So we'll do that." Mavis said with no hesitation. "And what will we do if we find the perpetrator?" Levy asked. "Then we fight." Gajeel said. Mavis nodded, agreeing with Gajeel. "We are here to protect the school and students. So if we do engage, then fight. But try to take it away from the castle." Mavis ordered. Everyone nodded and summoned their cloaks. But before they left, Mavis called out to them. "Before you go, I asked Dumbledore to add a little feature into your cloaks…" She said with a smirk.

The school went into lock down that night, and to ensure the safety of all students, Dumbledore decided that all the students would sleep together, each house taking a different room away from their Common Rooms in case of an attack, each house taking a different study hall.

Harry couldn't sleep, soft footsteps of the teachers that looked over them, leaving with the doors slamming an echo. He tossed and turned, the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape lingering in his mind. He rolled onto his stomach and breathed out, looking out the clean window. He stared at it for a while, before he turned on his side, facing the door. His eyes began to drift a bit, his eyes closing softly.

The echoes of the hall bounced around, the air howling from the outside. Harry tightened his grip on the blanket, feeling a bit of a shiver, then sweated as a wave of heat overcame his body. He opened his eyes a bit, wondering what was the deal with the sudden changes in temperature. He stared at the door, having a bad feeling. Suddenly, there they were.

Right there, phasing through the door!

The White Shadows…. He silently gasped, and ducked his head under his blanket. He pulled out his wand, his breath crisp from the cold air. The footsteps got closer and closer, silence from them. The shadows of the strangers loomed over his blanket, and stopped. Harry covered his mouth, trying not to make a sound. Harry slowly used his wand to give a peak at the mysterious figures. He could only see their chins, but not their eyes from this angle. One of them had the ruby on his hood, the other an amber.

"Uuuuugh…. Why am I paired up with you?!" One of them softly whined. "Shut up, I hate this as much as you, but we have a job!" The other one whispered with a snap. "Or would you rather be with your girlfriend?" The one with the amber sneered. "I would take both she-devils over you…" His partner growled. The man with the amber grumbled, before looking around.

"Well, seems alright over here…." One of them sighed. "Well, the culprit would be here, then there'd be a major battle here…." The other one muttered, looking around. "Thought they'd be here, especially since Harry's here too…." Harry's breath stopped a bit, and layed still to listen. "Smell anything?" The one with the ruby gem took a deep breath in, and held it in. A few seconds passed, and he let it go. He shook his head, confirming there was nothing. The man in amber sighed, and walked towards the door. "Come on dragon breath." He whispered, his hand beckoning him to follow. "Don't tell me what to do ice queen…" His partner grumbled. "Oh an upgrade from Ice Princess, that's nice…" The other said sarcastically, as they both phased through the doors. Harry immediately flicked off his blanket and sat up. He stepped quietly towards the door, careful not to wake anybody up. As he reached the door, he took a deep breath. He put his hand on the door, and as he was about to push it, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He gasped silently, violently turning around, almost banging into the door.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Harry let out a relieved sigh, his hand to his chest. "Hermione, Ron… Don't scare me like that…" He panted softly. "Where are you goin'?" Ron asked, looking at the door. Harry gulped a bit, and pointed at the door. "They were here…" He whispered. "Who?" Hermione asked. "The figures in white! The ones you and Ron dreamt about!" Harry softly hissed. Ron and Hermione's eyes widened, and looked at each other. "There right there, and I'm going to find out who they are!" Harry softly declared, turning around. "No, Harry!" Hermione stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No, not tonight. There's a criminal wandering the halls, not to mention Dementors as well. If we go, you could end up in trouble." She reasoned.

"She's right." Ron nodded, agreeing with her. "Now isn't the perfect time…. Just go back to sleep Harry." He argued. Harry stood there for a bit, biting his lip. He looked at the door, then at his friends. "...Alright." He agreed. All three of them made their way back to their beds and snuggled in for the night. As Harry began to drift away, he swore he saw a ghoul fly past the window into the night sky.

Lucy patrolled the outsides of the castle, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities from the forest or grounds. She looked up at the sky, admiring the full moon, illuminating the beauty of the night. It was almost…. Hypnotising.

"Lucy!" Lucy snapped out of her trance and looked to her right. "Loke, Capricorn, Sagittarius…" She smiled, turning to greet them. "Anything unusual?" She asked. "Nothing around the major and noticeable entrances." Loke reported. "The training grounds and courtyards are clear." Capricorn confirmed. "Nothing around the border of the Forbidden Forest mushi-mushi!" Sagittarius saluted. Suddenly a head popped out of the ground, looking up at Lucy. "Nothing under the castle princess. Is it punishment time?" Virgo asked, tilting her head a bit. Lucy groaned a bit, and sighed.

She put her hand on her hip, looking to the main lake as her sapphire gem glittered in the moonlight. "...Lucy….She's not ready yet. She's still refusing to come out…." Loke said. Lucy stayed silent, still looking at the lake. "I know…. But I need to try…." She made her way down to the lake, pulling out Aquarius's key. She plunged it into the water, and chanted for Aquarius to appear. But nothing happened.

Lucy sighed, and put the key away. "Don't worry Lucy, we'll talk to her." Loke promised. Lucy said nothing, staring at the lake. She suddenly felt a cold chill over her. She looked up, Dementors were flying above her. "Lady Lucy, it's not safe here. Let's go." Capricorn gently led Lucy back to the castle, Lucy blindly following. "We'll take our leave Luce." Loke said once they were safe in the castle. "Okay, thanks for your help." Lucy nodded. All four of her spirits vanished in a golden sparkle, leaving Lucy all alone. She looked outside the window, the moonlight vanishing in the black clouds. She sighed and continued on her way.

Everyone met up at the secret room, all of them saying they had a result of nothing. "Maybe the perpetrator fled." Gajeel suspected. "But if they did, they wouldn't have gone that far." Levy reasoned. "Levy's right. We took an air view and nothing." Charla vouched. "But we don't know when The Fat Lady was attacked. So there is a chance that the perpetrator had left." Lily countered.

"Maybe…" Mira pondered. "What is it Mira?" Gray asked. "Maybe…. The perpetrator is still here…" She proposed. "What?" Everyone gasped. "What if we're not dealing with a monster…. But someone with transforming abilities." Mira explained. Everyone's eyes widened, thinking about this theory.

"Yes, it would make sense…. It would be perfect, making it look like a monster, but in reality, the person responsible is human…." Mavis pondered. "Then that means…." Erza gasped, looking around. "Everyone at this school is a suspect." Makarov said sternly. The moon light shone into the room, as a howl from the forest carried from outside.

Everyone stayed silent looking down at the ground, thinking. Wendy sighed, breaking the silence. "We better find them soon then." She said, the others nodding. Natsu sighed, rubbing his hair. He wasn't looking forward to going through the files.

" _Here we go again…"_


	63. Moonlight's Wings

**Guys, let me just say when you're in uni or college, don't do four units otherwise you have seven assignments due back to back on the same week -_-**

 **Anyway, I've got this week's chapter down, so enjoy!**

The room was in a low murmur. The atmosphere was tense and cold, everyone whispering and discussing what had happened the night before. Natsu propped his legs up on the desk as he tossed a ball, in deep conversation with his team mates.. "How did Sirus get into the castle in the first place…?" Neville whispered. "You don't think someone let him in do you?" Semus questioned, looking around the table. Natsu, stopped tossing the ball as he turned his ear to the conversation behind him. "Well it's possible. There could be a traitor among us." Neville nodded. Natsu gave a short sigh, looking in front of him. Lucy, Gray, and Gajeel overhearing the conversation as well.

"If there is a traitor, who do you think it is?" Ron asked. "I call Snape! That man has slimy past written all over on him!" Semus called out. "I think it's Filch! He has a demeanor around him." Neville pitched in. "Harry, who do you think?" Ron nudged Harry, who was in a daydream up to that point. "Huh? What?" He jumped, looking around the group. "Do you think there's a traitor who let Sirius in? If so, who is it?" Ron repeated. "Oh! I uh…. Don't personally think there's a traitor…" Harry admitted. "Then how do you think Sirius got it?" Semus asked. Harry gave a bit of a thought, not sure how Sirius would get in.

"Well-"

 _BANG!_

Everyone jumped at the loud slamming of the door. As everyone turned towards the door, everyone's eyes reflected fear and scuttled towards their desks. "Oh crap!" Gajeel hissed, running to his seat. "P-Professor Snape!" Lucy stuttered, definitely surprised that he was here. The teacher marched to the front pointing his wand at the blinds as they closed abruptly, giving the students time to scramble to their desks. Natsu swore under his breath, in a panic slipping the ball into his pocket.

When Snape reached the front, he pulled down a string, a white screen flying down in front of the class. He snapped his head to the back, all the students sitting silently, staring at the front. "Turn to page three hundred and ninety four…" Snape ordered, a grit in his slithery voice. Everyone immediately looked down, flipping to the page and not to dare make eye contact with the teacher or question why he was there.

"Uh, Professor Snape! Where's Professor Lupin?" Natsu asked, his hand shooting right up. Ah of course! Dragneel always asking things that shouldn't be asked…. Snape stared at him with cold eyes, before replying that is not of his concern, only saying that he could not teach at the present time. He moved to behind what seemed to be a projector, pointing directly at the screen. "Turn to page three hundred and ninety four." Snape repeated, giving the projector a tap with his wand. As he did, the projector lit up, the sound of film rolling. Snape glanced over Ron's shoulder, noticing he was not on the page Snape had assigned.

He flicked his wrist aggressively at his book, the book automatically flipping its pages to the day's topic.

"What the… Werewolves?!" Ron exclaimed, extremely confused. "But sir! We just started learning about Redcaps and Hinkeypuffs!" Everyone turned to the sudden voice, and everyone almost jumped out of their seats to see it was Hermione next to Harry. But she wasn't in the room to begin with! "We're not supposed to talk about nocturnal beasts for weeks...:" She continued. "Quiet…!" Snape commanded, his tone sounding annoyed. "When did she come in?! Did you see her come in?!" Ron asked Harry, who shrugged and shook his head.

"Now! Who can tell me the difference between an animagus and a werewolf?" Snape asked, gliding to the front of the room. Hermione put her hand up, knowing the answer. "No one?" Snape called out, turning around. "How disappointing…." He sighed stiffly, knitting his fingers together. "Please sir!" Hermione called out, Snape gliding his eyes over to her.

"An animagus is a wizard who selects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice." Hermione explained, as the slides on the screen switched from picture to picture, illustrating the history of werewolves and their anatomy. "With each full moon, he has no longer remembers who he is. Could kill his best friend if they crossed paths. Furthermore, the werewolf will only respond to the call of its own kind."

Lucy stared at the slides, somewhat hypnotised as they switched images. She gave a soft hum, the wheels in her head turning. There was something that was missing here…. Something that was just staring at them right in the face. But what was it…? If only she could figure it out…. The images kept rotating as Lucy kept thinking. What was it…? What could be missing from this puzzle? Suddenly her eyes opened wide. Last night was…!

"Awoooo!" Draco howled, causing laughter from the Slytherins. Lucy jumped, and nearly screamed as Draco's howling snapped her out of her train of thought. Snape blinked towards Draco, not amused. "Thank you Mister Malfoy…" He sighed sarcastically, before moving back to Hermione. "That is the second time you have spoken out of context Miss Granger, are you capable of restraining yourself, or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?" Snape spat without taking a breath. Hermione looked down, her face saying it all. "He's got a point you know." Ron said bluntly, Gray leaning over his desk, giving Ron a flick to the back of the head. "Ow, hey!" Ron whined, rubbing the back of his head.

"Five points from Gryffindor." Snape declared, all the Gryffindors groaning. Draco held a little origami swan and blew on it, causing it to fly over to Harry, who caught it with both hands. "As an adage to your ignorance, and by my desk on Monday morning, two rolls of parchment on the werewolf with particular emphasis on recognising it!" Snape sneered, ignoring the groans and protests of the students. "But sir, Quidditch is tomorrow!" Harry protested.

Snape leaned over Harry, a sharp look in his eye. "Then I suggest you take extra care Mister Potter. Loss of limbs will NOT excuse you…" He gritted, before walking away. Gajeel and Natsu watched him walk to the projector, then looked at each other with wide eyes. They knew Snape was mean, but today he seemed extra mean. They gave a sigh, turning back to their books. As Snape continued to lecture, Harry opened the paper and staring at the paper, depicting him getting knocked off his broom. But that's not going to happen. After all, he's been playing Quidditch for a while. He's learned to be careful. He knew he'd be fine.

Dark stormy clouds covered the clear blue sky, a black umbrella flying around the air. Lightning struck, and thunder clapped, heavy rain creating a thick wall of blindness. And today was the Quidditch game. Everyone cheered their house and team on, not caring for the weather. Lighting struck the hoops a couple of times, and a girl's broom caught on fire due to the strike. "I must say, if Laxus were here he'd be enjoying this right now." Erza smirked. "I agree… but do we have to sit so high where lightning can strike us?" Wendy asked, a bit timid. "Oh, scared of a bit of weather are we?" Charla teased. Wendy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

Harry zoomed and dodged the balls coming his way, and players who were on a collision course with him. He spotted the Golden Snitch through the grey and misty air and immediately flew after it, he and the other Seeker flying after it in the clouds.

"You think he'll be alright up there?" Gray asked, not affected by the cold at all. "Yeah, he'll be alri- GRAY CLOTHES!" Susan screamed. "Oh sh-!" He hissed, ducking down to make sure Erza didn't see him…

"MISTER FULLBUSTEEEEEEEEEER!"

Gray sighed, cupping his face in his hands. "So much for that…"

About ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Harry. "What's going on up there…?" Mira muttered, having a bad feeling about this. "Charla, get Happy and Lily, find out what's happening." Wendy commanded nicely. "And don't forget about the cloaks." Erza reminded. Charla nodded, and hopped down to find Happy and Lily.

"Lily!" Charla whispered from beneath the Slytherin stands. "Charla?! What are you doing down there?" Lily asked, a bit surprised. "Something's wrong. Let's grab Happy and our cloaks and find out what's going on!" Charla hissed, both of them grabbing Happy then slipping away.

Everyone continued to look up, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, a black dot came from the sky, coming closer and closer to the ground. Everyone squinted at the sky, trying to make out what it was. Then…

"OH MY GOD HARRY!" Someone screamed. Everyone gasped and screamed. Some averted their eyes, not wanting to see the impact. Everyone in the stands stood up, Dumbledore raising his hand. "Arresto Momentum!" He commanded.

The rain began to pick up again as Harry slowed down, making it impossible to see what was happening. As Harry slowly began to lose consciousness, he could feel his back being captured by six hands. Before his eyes closed, he saw three faces, two boys, one girl covered by white hoods. One of the boys had bright blue hair, the other black hair with a scar on his cheek, the girl with short white hair. All of them sprouting pure white wings, floating him gently to the ground.

Then everything went black.


	64. Time to Act

**Q+A**

 **Q: Will Zeref appear in this story**

 **A: In this point in time, no**

 **Enjoy!**

Harry ran as fast as he could through the burning forest. He looked around, thinking this looked too familiar. He leapt aver a fallen amber tree, and continued his chase. He could see them. There they were! The four figures again, walking slowly away from him. He yelled out to them to wait, demanding to know who they are. But they didn't turn or flinch to his call, as if they didn't hear him. "Hey! I said HEY!" He yelled.

Harry kept running towards them, but for some reason couldn't catch up to them. He ran faster and faster, determined to catch up to them this time. He called out one more time, reaching out for them. But as he did, a fire phoenix erupted from the flames, flying Harry back, his back skidding in the dirt.

As he scrambled up, he saw the four figures standing in front of the flaming bird, looking at him. Harry panted, staring at them before calling out one last time, saying he won't leave until he knew what they wanted. The four figures said nothing, then one of them stepped forward. As the figure extended their hand, the same hand that extended to him exactly like last time. Harry looked down, seeing ten golden keys with a few silver keys dangling from her belt. His eye caught one of the keys, one of the signs on the key catching his eye.

"Who are you….?" Harry asked.

"Harry….. Do you trust us?" She asked.

Harry looked at her hand, then looked at her hidden face. "Do you trust us?" She repeated again, the heat of the fire scorching Harry's skin. "How can I….?" Harry asked looking up from her hand. "If I don't know who you are…?" He finished.

"Because we are…."

He shot open his eyes, his bodies aching in pain, shivering from the cold. He forced himself up slowly, putting his hands in front of his eyes. The same exact dream from last year…. "You're awake…." A kind voice smiled from behind the curtain. Harry looked to the side, noticing Professor Marvel walking in, beside her, her white cat. "Professor Marvel…. Aren't you supposed to be teaching a class right now?" Harry asked, wincing a bit, Charla leaping up onto the bed. "I am, but Dumbledore asked me to take care of you. Madam Pomfrey is taking my class at the moment." Wendy explained smiling and took a seat. She took out her wand and pointed it at his arm that looked the most injured.

Harry looked around the room, most of his friends had left from when he woke up before. He looked to his right, his precious Nimbus 2000…. In splinters and broken. He sighed, thinking back to when his friends visited.

" _Who won the game?" Hermione's eyes looked pitiful, indicating something did happen. Something that Harry didn't wish true. "No one blames you Harry. The Dementors aren't supposed to be around that area during that time…. Dumbledore was furious…" Harry nodded, looking down in defeat. "And sorry Harry…. But your broom flew into the Whomping Willow and well…" Harry sighed, Ron putting the broom down next to him. "Harry, are you alright?" Neville asked. "Well… as I fell…. I swore I saw angels in white cloaks…." Harry explained, rubbing his head. Everyone looked at each other, confused at what he said. "Angels?" Seamus repeated. "In white cloaks?" The twins confirmed. "I think, I don't know…" Harry muttered. "...Maybe you should rest a bit more. We'll get out of your head." Hermione decided, standing up. "Yeah. We'll talk later."_

"So what happened?" Wendy asked, snapping Harry out of his memory. "O-Oh! Well….. I was chasing the Snitch, then a Dementor attacked me…. I was falling and then I think…. I felt like I was slowing down and I swear I saw angels…" Harry recalled. Wendy and Charla immediately looked up at the mere mention of angels. "Really? Must have been close to death." Wendy sighed. "What do you mean?" Harry asked, a bit confused. "Well, some say that when you're on the brink of death they see angels." Wendy explained, looking back at the wound.

Harry looked down, thinking about the angels. "You know…. The boy angels really reminded me of Happy and Gajeel's cat… The blue hair and the scar down the cheek…" Harry muttered. "But the girl with white hair…. I had never seen her before…." He thought out loud. Charla looked up at Harry, her body curled up like a cat. Harry smirked and stroked her head, Charla not resisting by the looks of it. " _But it can't be them…. I don't think there's transformation magic powerful enough to not even transform into a mix of two creatures…."_ He thought, Charla's silky fur stroking against his hand.

" _This is humiliating! Why am I letting him do this?! I just saved his life, I should be treated better than this!"_ She thought, grumbling as she turned away from Harry. "Seems your cat doesn't like me…" Harry chuckled, taking his hand away. "She's like that to everyone. Don't worry about it." Wendy smiled.

There was awkward silence between the two for a while. Harry didn't exactly know what to say as he never talked to Professor Marvel outside Healing Class. "There we are." Wendy smiled, indicating she was finished. She wrapped the injured arm with an ointment soaked rag which stang Harry's open wounds a bit. "Make sure you rest alright?" Wendy reminded, giving him a sweet smile. "Y-Yes Professor…" Harry nodded. Wendy smiled, standing up to exit. Charla leaped off the bed following her partner. "Bye Charla." Harry smiled, waving at the pure white cat. Charla turned around giving Harry a steel eye, before turning away in a huff and walking after Wendy. Harry gave a sigh, a bit disappointed that Charla didn't like him. Well, to be fair, Charla always looked grumpy in the class.

Harry forced himself back down again, staring at the ceiling. He thought about the dream that he had, remembering one of the keys had the symbol of Leo the Lion. He then remembered during his battle between him and Quibble last year, the girl called upon Leo the Lion. He put his hand in the air, opening it and closing it, softly singing a song he made up on the spot. "Leo, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Capricorn, Aquarius, Scorpio, Cancer, Sagittarius, Libra, Pisces, and…." Harry's brain suddenly pinged.

" _Virgo? Yeah, she's Lucy's maid."_

" _Does that mean….? Lucy is…!"_

"Harry!" Harry gasped and jumped a bit. He looked to the side, Lucy walking in. "L-Lucy…." He nodded, sitting up a bit. "Don't force yourself Harry. You had quite the fall." Lucy said, taking a seat. Harry nodded, scanning Lucy's body up and down. "Hm? Is something wrong?" She asked. "Huh? Oh nothing…." Harry muttered, looking away. " _No, that lady's body is way too mature… Lucy's body is nothing close to hers…"_

"So Lucy… out of curiosity…." Lucy smiled, tilting her head for the question. "Do you have any older siblings?" Harry asked. "Hm? No, I'm an only child…." She replied, curious to why Harry asked that. "I-I see…" Harry stuttered a bit baffled. "Why do you ask?" She asked. "Just curious." Harry smiled. Lucy blinked, then smiled. "Alright then." She stood up, placing a scroll in his hand. "These are the notes for Deviation. Since you'll be in here for a while, I made a short list of what we'll be covering later today." She smiled. "Thanks." Harry smiled, before Lucy walked away.

Harry looked at the scroll, tightening his grip on it. His brain began to turn. At the end of the first year, Lucy seemed to hide injuries when she was visiting Harry in the first year, seemingly in the same spots as that girl was who was fighting to protect the Philosopher's Stone. She's an only child with a maid named Virgo. She wore gloves all the time, maybe hiding something on her hands. As for the sudden growth, could be simple transformation magic….

Lucy Heartfilia…. Erza Scarlet… Natsu Dragneel….. All of them had suspicious behaviours. He knew not to think about it now as his problems were much bigger, but still….. Figures in white, otherly world magic, now Angels in the same cloaks as those figures. It was at that point now.

That this could not be ignored any longer.


	65. A Guild of Broken Souls

**I finally got a new laptop! No more borrowing or typing on tiny screen! Woohoo!**

 **Here is the new chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

All the Fairy Tail members stood inside Dumbledore's office, wondering why Dumbledore would call them in before the holidays would start. "Hey guys! Look at this!" Natsu giggled, holding up a trinket. "Natsu, don't touch that!" Levy scolded, snatching the trinket out of his hands and placing it back where it was. Natsu grumbled a bit before turning to another item. "Can't believe it's been almost two years since we last came here." Erza smiled, picking up a potion then putting it back. "For most of us." Gray snorted. "Gray shut up!" Natsu hissed, leaping at Gray. "Natsu came in here like, three times already for misbehaviour." Gray continued, fighting off the shoving Natsu. "Dude, shut up!" Natsu hissed again. "Make me dragon breath!" Gray gritted.

"Alright you two stop it." Lucy sighed, pushing the two away from each other. "Natsu, we already know." Mira smiled. "Yeah, do you really think that news around here is that secretive?" Levy chuckled. "With everything going on…. Yes." Natsu said blandly. "Well we do hear things. And don't think I haven't let go of your foolish behaviour Natsu!" Erza scolded. Natsu could feel the blood drain from his face a bit, before backing down in defeat.

"Ah Makarov, Mavis. Thank you all for meeting me here." Mavis flew in through the painting, bowing towards Dumbledore for courtesy. "It's alright. We do need to talk about what has happened and what might happen…." She muttered. "Is Harry alright after what happened?" Wendy asked, a bit worried. "Harry is fine."

Everyone turned around, wondering where that voice came from. "P-Professor Lupin…" Lucy stuttered. "Thought you went home." Gajeel said blandly. "On the contrary. Professor Dumbledore asked me to stay behind to help you." Lupin explained, stepping towards of them. "With what…?" Mira asked. "To prepare how to strengthen your minds when facing the Dementors." Dumbledore said. "How?" Gray asked. "Are you aware with the spell Legilimens?" Dumbledore asked, taking a seat at his desk. "Legilimens?" Gray asked, tilting his head. "It is a spell that can look into ones memory. If the caster is strong enough, you can even alter memories." Lupin explained, standing next to Dumbledore.

"I have requested Lupin to help you with fighting Dementors if they get too close." Dumbledore explained. "W-Wait…. But what about our…. Conditions….?" Erza asked, not wanting Lupin to catch on. "Oh I know." Lupin said bluntly. "Wait, YOU KNOW?!" Everyone gasped, their jaws dropping. "E-Even us?!" Happy exclaimed. "Yes. All of you. Dumbledore explained everything. We even had a little chat after you left my office." Lupin smiled. "He is a member of The Order of the Phoenix, and a personal friend of mine. He can be trusted, so do not worry." Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. Everyone looked around at each other, humming, before nodding signalling that they agreed to this.

"So how will we combat this?" Erza asked, folding her arms. "Well, you've all been close to Dementors before correct?"Lupin asked. Wendy, Erza, Mira, and Levy looked at each other and shook their heads, not yet coming face to face with a Dementor. The students, on the other hand, looked down, nodding slightly. "Then you all know that they aim to feed off negative energy. What we aim to do, is try strengthen your mind by re-living and altering memories to simulate what Dementors would expose your mind to." Lupin explained.

"So, during these holidays we're going to learn how to counter despair?" Charla clarified, Lupin nodding. "If you do not… then you might leave with nothing but despair…. As I'm sure you're all aware, Dementors are foul creatures that find every happy memory and replace it with your fears and worst nightmares. They will not care who you are, and as we have intel that the Dementors had attacked you we have to take measures." Lupin explained. "So over the holidays we are going to train you all to counter a Dementor's Kiss." Mavis but in. Everyone looked around, unsure. But they had to do this, in order to counter the Dementors if the need arise.

"Oh the summertime is coming

And the trees are sweetly blooming

And the wild mountain thyme

Grows around the blooming heather

Will ye go, Lassie go?

And we'll all go together

To pluck wild mountain thyme

All around the blooming heather

Will ye go, Lassie go?"

Lucy sang, her feet dipping in the clear cool lake by the edge of the school. She closed her eyes as she hummed the Scottish tune, listening to the birds chirping in the clear blue sky above her. The trees swayed in time to her song, and the kind fish swimming gracefully past her bare toes. She gave a sigh and looked up to the sky. Since the holidays started, she felt so relaxed.

BOOM!

"YOU STUPID ICE PRINCESS!"

"BITE ME SALAMANDER"

Lucy groaned, the animals now too scared to sing and the explosion knocking the rhythm of the wind out of tempo. She couldn't be bothered with any of this right now. Her forehead began to tick, and her body began to tense up. She turned around about to snap at them, but no one was there. "Huh? I thought that….?" She looked around, certain that she heard Gray and Natsu go through their daily banter. She stood up, the dirt pricking her bare feet. She examined the environment around her. Suddenly, the day swiftly turned to night, the dark clouds covering the full moon.

"Upon one summer's morning

I carefully did stray

Down by the Walls of Wapping

Where I met a sailor gay

Conversing with a young lass

Who seem'd to be in pain

Saying, William, when you go

I fear you'll ne'er return again

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold"

Lucy turned around, noticing the familiar and beautiful voice. There in the now misty lake, there was Aquarius. Her long blue hair shimmering in the moonlight. Lucy gasped, tears nearly forming in her eyes. She was alright! She was herself again! "Aquarius!" She cried out. But Aquarius did not turn.

"My name it is Maria

A merchant's daughter fair

And I have left my parents

And three thousand pounds a year

Come all you pretty fair maids

Whoever you may be

Who love a jolly sailor

That plows the raging sea

While up aloft in storm

From me his absence mourn

And firmly pray arrive the day

He's never more to roam

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold."

Lucy's smile turned into concern, calling out her name again. Aquarius turned around, swimming away from Lucy as she kept singing.

"My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold."

"A-Aquarius wait!" Lucy ran into the water, attempting to swim after her. "Aquarius! Wait! What's wrong?! Tell me what happened?!" She gurgled as she swam towards to her spirit. Only for Aquarius to disappear into the mist. It felt like Lucy was swimming in the ocean. The waters raged against her, land no longer in sight or around her. She gasped for energy and air, trying to continue swimming forward. "A….quarius….." She gasped, before she could not continue, the water crushing over her.

When she came too, she was surrounded in black. "W-Where am I…. Ah! Aquarius! Are you here?! Aquarius!" She called out, frantically looking around. Only an echo greeted her in reply. But then a soft growl emerged, blue patterns and white eyes glowing in front of Lucy. She suddenly froze, knowing that growl and pattern. "N-No…. You're not…. You're not here….!" The dragon suddenly chuckled, standing on its hind legs in all its glory and majesty. "You do not know. This is my domain…. This is where I rule…. Here I am King… I am the rightful ruler after I killed my father with my own hands… no one can stop me…. Not even Fairy Tail…"

He flapped his wings, a dark light illuminating behind her. She turned around, gasping sharply. There were Lucy's friends, guildmates and spirits, all mangled and blood running from the pile. Natsu was missing an arm and a leg, Gray was torn in half, the Exeeds had their wings torn, many of them having serious life threatening injuries. "N-No…." Lucy shook all over, stepping back. She almost began to throw up, and kneeled down hands to her mouth. "This is what happens to those who go against me. And you'll be next!" He declared. "NOOOOO!" She screamed, her lungs feeling like her soul was being sucked out from her body.

"Ugh! Uwwwahh…!" Lucy clenched her hands tightly onto the chair's arms, the wood splintering as she gripped tighter and tighter. Her brow was sweating, tears flowing down from her eyes. Her teeth clenched hard, saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Focus Miss Heartfilia... Remind yourself that it's not real…" Lupin reminded her. "I-It… no….rea….!" Lucy gasped, pains in her chest as she spoke. "This pain will feel worse if the Dementors come back for you Lucy…. Your First Master told me all about it… how that dragon attacked you, how your guild suffered for seven years…. I can see your memories, I know about your family and spirits. If I can, so can the Dementors. Now fight it Miss Heartfilia!"

Lucy screamed in pain as Lupin continued through her horrible exercise. The others watched, most of them trying to stay strong, but ultimately looked away trying their hardest not to intervene. Natsu paced back and forth, until he had enough of this. "Oi… she's had enough… Let her rest…." Natsu muttered, slowly stepping forward. "She needs to strengthen her mind… the Dementors aren't going to let her go that easily…." Lupin muttered back, not breaking his concentration. "Hey…! Didn't you hear me….! I said it's enough…!" Natsu said, raising his voice as he stepped closer to Lupin.

"Natsu! Stop it!" Erza said, holding him back. "I said stop it! You don't know the feeling she's gone through Professor! Stop it!" Natsu yelled, fighting Erza. Lupin continued to concentrate on Lucy. "Natsu, stop it! Lucy is strong, she'll pull through." Gray said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Natsu stopped struggling, looking at Lucy who was twitching and struggling. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, praying Lucy would be alright…

Lucy continued to struggle in her nightmare, gasping for air as her memories re-played over and over again, attempting to break her. "P-Please….. Please….!" She quietly begged. "You're not real… You're not real…! You're not real! YOU'RE NOT REAL!" She screamed.

Suddenly Lucy gasped, Lupin breaking his stance on Lucy, freeing her. "Lucy!" Natsu rushed over to her and gave her a hug. "Natsu…. Natsu…. Natsu…." She muttered again and again and again, clinging to him like her life depended on it. "You did well Lucy." Erza congratulated, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she did, she felt Lucy shaking violently. "Er….Er…." She stuttered. "Lucy it's okay…" Natsu whispered. "Professor Lupin…. Don't you think you went to far…?" Mira asked, watching to others crowd around Lucy. "The truth is what I did was the least amount a Dementor can do. What I showed her would be considered mercy to them. It's not that I was being harsh…. But rather letting her experiencing the minimum of what a Dementor can do." Lupin explained.

"I-I'll take her to the infirmary…!" Wendy cried, asking Charla and Lily to help her, which they did with no hesitation. "So that was the least amount a Dementor can do huh…?" Gajeel said, overhearing Mira and Lupin talk. Everyone left behind looked at Lupin, both with concern and anger. "Unfortunately yes. What I showed her would be level one… Like I said, what I showed her would be considered mercy for the Dementors. And they are not ones of mercy." Lupin said seriously. "But there is no other way." He sighed.

Natsu tisked and grabbed Lupin by the collar, about to yell at him. But he couldn't think of anything to say, and let go with a grunt. Lupin straightened out his tie and cleared his throat. "Don't worry. I say Lucy is a strong girl. She'll pull through in no time" Lupin reassured. Erza stayed silent before sighing. "If it's to defeat the Dementors, then we'll have to go through what Lucy did… No matter how painful…." She muttered. Lupin nodded and sighed, looking at the group. "We have to keep going. Who wants to go next?"

"Fairy Tail… A guild that builds upon each other from their pasts…. Each one of our members has a past that makes up of who we are…. That's probably why the Dementors are so attracted to them… And it won't be long until they come for Erza, Mira, Wendy, and Levy… That's why they need to do this… And help build upon them… That's what makes Fairy Tail…." Mavis muttered, looking at the scene from above.

"A guild of painful pasts…. That's who they are….."


	66. White Betrayal

The holidays passed so quickly for the students. By the time they all got back, the school was once more cloaked in white soft snow. Not to mention that Christmas was almost here. And that meant one thing.

"Last call to Hogsmeade! Come on now!"

All the kids laughed as they ran through the courtyard towards the train station. Harry watching from the clock tower with a straight face. The only ones who looked a bit glum and pale were Gajeel, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy. All of them looked…. Distant and pale. Natsu threw an arm around Lucy, as if consoling her about something. Gray patted Lucy on the head as she gave him a hug, patting him on the back too. Gajeel walked past them, rubbing Lucy's hair before joining Draco and his goons.

He tilted his head, confused if something had happened over the holidays. He shook his head with a sigh as the four of them walked after the other kids. He backed away from the clock face, throwing his plan into action of getting to Hogsmeade.

"We should but the carrot on now."

"On it. You got the hat Fred?"

"Right here."

As the twins continued to build their snowman, Fred noticed a set of footprints, mysteriously indenting the snow. He softly tapped his brother's arm and pointed to the footprints. The twins looked at each other, and nodded. They both stepped forward, deliberately looking away, then grabbed the invisible force by the sides.

"Guys! Let me go!" A voice squirmed, two streaks of lines following the invisible being. "You're clever Harry!" George praised. "But not clever enough." Fred tisked. "Besides, we got a better way." George smirked. "Guys, come on! I'm trying to get to Hogsmeade!" Harry said with a bit of struggle in his voice. "We know." The twins said in harmony.

"Don't worry."

"We'll get you there."

"We'll show you a quicker way."

"If you pipe down."

Harry continued to struggle as the twins continued to pull him into the school, which the twins admired for him trying to do. "Come on guuuys~!" Harry pleaded. "Now Harry." Fred started, stopping at a small wooden staircase in one of the towers. "Come and join the big boys…" And with that' the twins let him go.

Harry slipped off his invisibility cloak, messing up his hair a bit and crookening his glasses. "What are you doing?!" He hissed, violently wrapping the cloak around his arm. The twins looked around the room, making sure no one was there to listen in. When they determined the area was safe, Fred pulled out a piece of yellow brown paper folded nice and neatly. Harry took it, and looked at the twins in confusion. "What is this rubbish?" He said violently, looking at the map. George and Fred looked at each other and scoffed. "What is this rubbish he says. This!" Fred tapped on the map lightly before putting his hand to the side on his hip. "Is the secret to our success." He said, smirking a bit. "It's a wrench giving it to you believe me." His brother admitted. "But! We decided that your needs are greater than ours. George! If you please." Fred said bowing back a bit. His brother, one step ahead of him, slipped out his wand and cleared his throat. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." He declared, and tapped the map with his wand. Slowly, the paper began to slowly reveal black blocks and curls of ink across the paper.

"Mrs Moony, Wormtail, Patford and Prongs proudly present…." Harry looked up, puzzled. "The Marauders Map?" Fred nodded, George muttering something about owing them. Harry opened the Map, his eyes baffled. It was a perfect layer of the school! Every room, every footstep, every secret room and hallway. "H-Hang on… is that…?!" He gasped.

"Dumbledore"

"In his office."

"Pacing."

"Does that quite a lot."

Harry watched the banner with Albus's name wave as he walked up and down in his office until he spoke up. "So you mean this map shows…" Fred nodded. "Everyone." "Everyone?" Harry repeated.

"Everyone."

"Where they are."

"What they're doing."

"Every minute."

"Of everyday."

"Brilliant! Where did you find this?" He asked, a smile beaming from his face. "Filch of course. First Year." Fred said, leaning back on the wall folding his arms. "Now listen. There are seven secret passageways out of the castle. We recommend…." Both of the twins pointed to the same spot. "This one." They said together. "The One-Eyed Witch Passageway. It will lead you straight to Honeydukes cellar." George informed. "But you better hurry. Filch is heading this way." Fred cautioned, pointing at the moving pair of feet heading to where they were. "Oh, and Harry. Don't forget, when you're done, give it a tap and say "Mischief managed."" The twins said together as Fred tapped the map. "Otherwise anyone could read it…" They said together.

Harry watched as the ink began to fade away, but before it was completely gone, he swore that he saw Professor Scarlet, McGarden, Marvel, Straus and Makarov enter Dumbledore's study. Then the map went blank once more. Harry shook it off and put the map in his pocket. He cloaked himself into invisibility again and headed towards the passageway.

He pushed the floor up from above him, his hands slipping a bit, causing the tile to close down on him. "Oof!" He groaned a bit, before pushing the tile back up again. He peeped up, noticing he just missed the owner as he went upstairs with a couple of jars in hand. Once Harry heard the door close, Harry leapt up and silently put the tile back. He stopped at the end of the stairwell and slipped the invisibility cloak on. The stairs creaked as he stepped up, accidently knocking over a few items lined along the stairs.

When he reached upstairs, his eyes couldn't believe it. The walls were piled with candies, all shapes and sizes. For pranks, for treats! Caldrons bubbled with muggle treets like melted chocolate, and also with unknown liquids like a sweet scented green goo. Students from Hogwarts were the main customers for the day. All of them were smiling, high on sugar. All of them carrying lollipops, fairy floss, and all kinds of sweet looking treats. Harry smacked his lips a bit, craving something sweet now. As he past Neville and Seamus chatting away, he noticed an uneaten lollipop in Neville's hand. "Wha-!" Neville exclaimed, feeling the treat slip from his hands. " _Sorry Neville! I'll buy you a treat the next time we come here!"_ Harry promised, tucking it under his cloak to eat the delicious candy. With his stomach now satisfied, he made his way to find Hermione and Ron.

Hermione and Ron stared at the old house that stood outside Hogsmeade, hanging around the fence that prevented them from going forward. "It's meant to be the most haunted building in Britain…. Did I mention that?" Hermione asked, giving a bit of a laugh at the end. "Yeah. Twice…" Ron muttered. "Oh…" Hermione mumbled, looking down a bit. "Do you want to move a bit closer?" Hermione asked, turing to Ron. "I'm sorry what?" Ron asked, not sure if he heard the question correctly. "You know, to the Shrieking Shack?" Hermione said with a bit of a snark. "A-Actually, I'm uh…. I'm fine right here…" Ron said, swinging his hands into a clap.

"Well well well what do we have here?"

Hermione and Ron groaned, knowing who's voice that belonged to…. Both of them turned around, seeing Malfoy and two other Slytherins approaching them. "You two shopping for your dream home? Bit grand for you isn't it Weasle-Bee?" He stopped in front of them, looking at Ron. "Don't your family sleep in uh… one room?" Malfoy asked, trying to sound sincere and curious, but you could definitely tell that was NOT the case here. "Shut your mouth Malfoy…" Ron muttered, looking down. "Ooo not very friendly. Boys, I think it's time we teach Weasel-Bee how to _respect_ his superiors." Draco said with a snitch, flicking his jacket. "Ah, hahaha, hope YOU don't mean yourself!" Hermione laughed, before stepping in front of Malfoy, taking a fighting stance. "How DARE you talk to me…. You filthy little mud-blood!" Draco spat in disgust.

Suddenly, a cold object flew into Draco's cheek. He gasped, everyone looking at the direction of where the snowball was thrown. The Slytherins scanned the open area, panicking where it came from. "W-Who is there?" Draco called out. There was silence for a bit, the crisp cold air nipping at everyone's faces. Then….

 _SLAM!_

 _SLAM!_

 _SLAM!_

A barrage of snowballs flew at the Slytherin students, all of them trying to protect themselves from the oncoming attack of snowballs. Hermione and Ron watched on, jaws dropped. "Don't just stand there! Do something!" Draco ordered, pushing his henchmen around. "Like what?!" One of them panicked. Suddenly, the boy's beanie got pulled, while the other goon's trousers got pulled down to his ankles, exposing the cold to his legs. As the boy tried pull his pants back up, he felt someone kick his behind causing him to scream and fall flat on his face into the snow. Hermione and Ron tried not to laugh, but couldn't hold it, laughing at their misfortune. The invisible force continued to toy with them, grabbing another one by the scarf and twirling him around. Draco began to panic, and tripped over the former's body, still a little dazed by the kick. After the mysterious thing was done with the guy with the scarf, Draco felt something pick up his feet and drag him towards the Shrieking Shack. Draco screamed, and the figure dropped his ankles. Draco took this as an opportunity and ran for it. As he did, he pushed his "friends" out of the way, demanding for them to move out of the way. His goons followed him, yelling for him to wait up. Hermione and Ron continued to smirk and laugh as they ran away. Suddenly, Ron's beanie tassels began to mysteriously float up, and began to play with Hermione's hair. "Harry!" Hermione smiled, knowing it was him. Harry flicked off his invisibility cloak, smiling and laughing. "Bloody hell Harry. That was not funny." Ron sighed with relief, Hermione and Harry continued to snicker.

"Hey Hermione! Ron! I got the cocoa! Why were Draco and his goons running aw-" Natsu stepped out from the woods, holding three cups of hot cocoa. He stopped, noticing the extra party member. Harry gave a little wave with a cheeky smile. "Harry! I thought… Weren't you…." Natsu started, a bit confused why he was there. Harry looked at his cocoa cups, then at the trio. "Hot cocoa?" Natsu offered with a smile.

"Eh?! A map that shows you everything in Hogwarts! That sounds so cool!" Natsu smiled, walking with his friends. "Speak for yourself! Never mentioned anything to me about a Marauder's Map…." Ron grumbled. "Harry's going to return it to Professor McGonagall, aren't you Harry?" Hermione said, turning to Harry. "Oh sure. Along with the Invisibility Cloak?" Ron scoffed. The four of them continued to walk through Hogsmeade, until a hammering sound echoed from one of the nearby buildings. "Oh look, it's Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her." Hermione teased. "That's not true!" Ron snapped back.

"Ah! Professor McGonagall!" Harry gasped and Ron and Natsu swiftly stepped in front of Harry so that no one could see him. The professor walked up to the man on the carriage, welcoming him. "Who's that?" Harry whispered. "Cornelius Fudge. One of the Ministers working for the Ministry. Dad works with him a lot." Ron explained. Cornelius stepped off, chuckling a bit when Hagrid accidently broke the carriage door. "Ah Rosmerta! How is business?" The minister asked, stepping towards the blond woman. "It would be a lot better if there were no Dementors coming to my pub EVERY NIGHT!" She scolded, stepping forward towards the minister, hammer in her hand. Cornelius stepped back a bit, before Rosmerta backed off going back to hammering. "W-We have a killer on the loose!" Cornelius reasoned, stepping forward. "Oh Sirius Black in Hogsmeade!" Rosmerta sang, not giving a damn about his reason. "So, what would bring him here then?" She asked, not realising four students were watching her. Cornelius leaned towards her ear, whispering something to her. She then turned around, mouth to the ground. "Harry Potter?!" She exclaimed.

The students listening in widened their eyes in surprise as McGonagall and Cornelius rushed the pub owner in, shushing her. Ron, Natsu, and Hermione looked at each other, then noticed someone was missing. "Wha-! Where'd Harry go?!" Natsu whispered harshly, looking around. Hermione joined, then noticed footprints leading to the pub. "Harry!" Hermione called out, following the prints, the boys behind her. Hermione burst into the pub after Harry entered. "Oi! No underaged wizards allowed in today!" One of the talking heads next to the door snapped. "Now shut the damn door!" Another yelled. "So rude…" Hermione muttered, stepping back. "Thick heads…" Ron and Natsu muttered together. "Thick heads?!" The heads exclaimed, yelling at the teenage wizards. The three of them sighed, sitting down on the empty bench next to the pub, waiting for Harry to come out.

The three sat in awkward silence. They did give a bit of small talk and some possible theories of what they were talking about up there. Suddenly the door burst open, footprints hurrying away from the pub. "Guys look!" Hermione pointed. The three of them watched the footprints walk away, pushing through an elf choir. Everyone looked around in shock, wondering what happened. The trio quickly rushed after him, following him out of Hogsmeade into an empty area. The three stopped, hearing soft sobs coming from a rock. Just where the footsteps had ended. Hermione slowly stepped forward, kneeling at the rock. She slowly reached to the seemingly open space, and wrapped her fingers around a velvet like material. She took a deep breath and slowly removed the cloak off Harry. He seemed very upset.

"Harry…. What happened….?" Hermione asked softly. Harry sniffed and wiped a tear. "He… He was their friend…. And he betrayed him…. HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!" Harry yelled, his voice echoing in the woods. Natsu, Ron, and Hermione stayed silent. Natsu looked down. He wanted to say something. He knew it wasn't true.

"...I'm sure that's not true….."

Everyone turned around, looking at Natsu who had his head looking down at the snow. "...What….?" Harry said, growling a bit. "I mean… I'm sure there's a logical explanation…" Harry stood up, marching over to Natsu. "Maybe we should look into it and-" Harry grabbed his collar with both of his hands. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND NATSU!" He screamed. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AN ORPHAN! TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TRUST BETRAY YOU!" Ron winced. Harry didn't know… That Natsu was an orphan before he found his family. Natsu stood there, a bit shocked.

He growled, then grabbed one of his wrists. "You're right... I don't know, but you're my friend I was just trying to help!" He argued, looking at him in the face. "FRIENDS DON'T MAKE EXCUSES FOR THEIR PARENTS' **MURDERER** NATSU! HE WAS MY **GODFATHER** AND MY PARENTS FRIEND! AND HE **MURDERED** THEM!" Harry screamed. "YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT PASTS?! ABOUT FAMILY?! YOU HAVE NO **IDEA** WHAT I'VE SEEN! I'VE SHARED THE PAINS OF LOSS! I'VE SEEN BETRAYALS! MY FRIENDS WERE NEARLY **KILLED** LAST YEAR! And about family...? WHAT ABOUT THEM?!" Natsu pointed at Hermione and Ron, who looked scared of Harry and Natsu's bickering. "YOU DON'T CONSIDER THEM FAMILY?!" He roared. Harry stayed silent, until rage overtook him, and pushed Natsu to the ground. "Natsu!" Hermione screamed.

Harry panted, then looked at his Ron and Hermione. "I hope he finds me! Because when he does, I'm gonna be ready! And I'm going to kill him!" Harry yelled, and ran off. "Harry!" Hermione called, running after him.

Natsu laid there, silent, his eyes shaded by his hair. "Hey. You okay Natsu?" Ron asked, walking up to Natsu and offered his hand. Natsu stayed silent, then took his hand. "Thanks..." He muttered. "I don't think I've ever seen you that angry..." Ron said, looking in the direction of where Harry walked. "I... I just need some time alone..." Natsu whispered, and walked past Ron. As he walked away, the horrible memories of Tenrou Island, Lisanna's death, the disappearance of Igneel... and because of Lupin's training, his memories were more painful than ever. Damn it... why did he have to fight with Harry? Why did he have to hide the truth from him? Why can't he tell him? He cried as he made his way back to Hogsmeade, wiping any tears away.

"Natsu! We were looking for you!" Lucy called out, waving with Gray and Gajeel with her. "Where've you…. Been….?" Natsu walked right past, not acknowledging them. "What's up with Salamander?" Gajeel muttered. "Beats me. Never seen him this down before…" Gray noted. Lucy stood there, wondering what was bothering him. Ron panted up to them about ten minutes later, bending over. "Ron, what happened?" Gray asked. "H-Have you guys seen Natsu around? Haven't seen him since he stormed off..." He said, gasping for air. "Y-Yeah, went that way... What happened, he seemed upset earlier..." Lucy asked. Ron stood up, bending his back a bit and sighing out. "Uh... He and Harry got into a fight..." Ron softly admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "WHAT?!" The three of them exclaimed.

"Yeah, into an argument about Sirius... escalated quickly..." Ron said, still baffled at Natsu's angry side. "Anyway... thanks!" Ron thanked, and ran where Lucy pointed. "I hope that idiot didn't reveal anything important..." Gray sighed, turning around to continue through Hogsmeade, Gajeel grunting in agreement and followed him. Lucy stayed behind, watching Ron find her guildmate.

"Natsu…" She whispered.


	67. Are You Really My Friend?

Natsu sat on the cold ground, staring at the almost thawed lake. He had his hands to his lips, obviously in deep thought. It had been a couple of months since he and Harry fought, and they haven't talked since. Ever since then, Harry had avoided him at all costs. He gave a sigh, the snow on the tree behind him dropping with a soft and crunchy thud.

"There you are…." Natsu turned behind him, Lucy approaching him. Natsu said nothing and faced forward again. "We gotta go soon. Come on we gotta go." She said. But Natsu still did nothing. "...You know, I haven't seen you talk to Harry in months ever since Hogsmeade…. What happened?" She sat down next to Natsu, looking at him. He stayed silent still, and looked down. "He…. he found out…." He mumbled under his breath. "What?! He found out! Why didn't you tell us right away?!" Lucy exclaimed as she stood up, shocked at his decisions. "This could jeopardize everything! Do you realise how serious this is?!" She rantend, grabbing her hair and stressfully ruffling through it. "What if he figures out where we're from?! What if EVERYONE finds out?! What if we've put everyone in danger and-!"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist and pulled her in for a kiss to calm and quiet her down. She began to resist at first, so angry at Natsu, but his strong grip wrapped around her lower and upper back, limiting her from her squirming. After about ten seconds, she began to relax and accept the kiss and unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck and head. Natsu stayed there a bit longer then he intended, but didn't regret it. When the two separated, Lucy had calmed down giving Natsu time to give time to talk. "Lucy, calm down. He only found out about him being Harry's Godfather. That's all." He whispered. Lucy stared at his chest, and leaned her forehead lightly on his shoulder. "Say that sooner you idiot…." She whispered back. "I know I know… I just didn't want to cause a major panic is all…." He said, which was a little white lie. It was true he didn't want to cause a major panic, but he also didn't want to show his pain towards everyone.

"...There's something more isn't there…"

Lucy saw right through his emotions. He gave a silent smirk. Nothing less of his fiance…. "It's nothing…." He smiled, pushing Lucy slightly away, looking into her eyes with a smile. "I'm just happy you're here with me Lucy…." He smiled. Lucy's heart skipped a beat and her cheeks went rouge. "W-Well… it was your doing in the first place that got us here….." She mumbled, avoiding her gaze. He chuckled, guiding her chin to look at him. "Thank you for coming here with me. You always cheer me up in an instant." He smiled. She looked at him, then turned away swiftly to hide her red face, and gave a light cough. "A-Anyway, the others are waiting. Let's get going." She said, and began to walk towards the school, Natsu following. He watched Lucy's hair sway as he continued to follow.

As he continued to stare at Lucy, his mind began to wander about her. She's always had that smile that warmed everyone's hearts, and no matter how things grim had gotten, she always got through no matter what. He had never thought about it before, but during this mission and throughout the years he's known her he had finally noticed.

He was in love with her.

Harry groaned in his sleep, tossing and turning. His brow was sweating despite the nippy Spring English air. He finally woke up, gasping for air. He panted and cupped his face and brought his knees up. He looked up, looking around the dark room, everyone still asleep. But something wasn't right… it was quiet…. Too quiet. Normally Natsu would be snoring like a loud dragon. Even though they weren't talking, Natsu still shared the room with them. He looked at the Wall Clock ticking away in the room. It was 1:30 in the morning. Where would he be at this time of night? He grabbed the Marauders Map from his side drawer and the Invisibility Cloak just in case and slipped out to the Lobby of the Common Room.

He sat on the couch, only the fire illuminating the paper. He sighed and grabbed out his wand. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." He chanted and lightly tapped the map, the ink slowly revealing itself to Harry. He opened it up and looked around wondering where is room mate had gotten too….

Ah, there he was. In the….. Slytherin Common Room? Why would a Gryffindor be there? With Lucy, Gray, and Gajeel? And that wasn't the only odd thing… Professor Scarlet was there as well. Why would they be there, unless someone would try sneak in…. He gave a groan and ran out the door, his cloak in hand.

The one thing he hated about the cloak was that it was always hard to breath. It always made him think he was breathing so loudly that others could hear. As he inched closer and closer to the entrance, he leaned his ear on the door and heard muffled voices beyond the door.

"You sure about this?"

"Yeah, that's all he knows. He doesn't know anything else…"

"Hang on why are we all meeting here?! This seems like the worst place to discuss this!"

"Well Master Mavis did say to meet here. And she is never wrong."

" _Master Mavis?"_ Harry thought to himself. He had never heard of someone named Mavis before….

"Where are the others anyway?"

"They said they'd meet us at the room."

"Then why are we here…."

"I think it's because she saw a prediction. One that will benefit us."

"Like what?"

"Maybe….. She wanted someone to find us here…."

There was silence, then the door jolted open. Harry gasped and ran to hide. But he didn't need to if he were invisible. Force of habit maybe. But before he could see who stepped out, he felt a cold rush run over him. He looked behind, and saw a ghostly figure float down the hall. He stood still, he couldn't move a muscle. It couldn't be…..

A Dementor in the hallways!

Harry held his breath, hoping the Dementor would pass by. His heart pounded in his chest, and closed his eyes as the Dementor flew by. Harry thought he was safe, but boy was he wrong. The Dementor came back, flying straight into his face. He gasped, jumping back, his back hitting the wall. As his mouth dropped, the Dementor began to suck his soul out from his body. Harry felt cold, his mind went blank, not knowing what to do. Then everything went black.

"Mmmmm….. What….?" Harry woke, feeling sluggish. When his hearing senses kicked in, he could hear the crackling of the fire, the warm water on a damp cloth on his forehead, and a blanket warming his legs. He looked to the side, someone hunched over the fire, thinking.

Harry blinked a few times, before seeing the figure more clearly. "Nat….su….?" Harry stuttered. Natsu turned around at the mention of his name, and smiled. "You came to." He smiled, turning back around and prodding the fire with an iron rod. "W-What happened…?" Harry asked, sitting up and holding his head.

"Professor Scarlet found you passed out and asked Professor Marvel to help bring you back to the Common Room." Natsu explained. "She said you were attacked by a Dementor. You're lucky she was there. You shouldn't be out this late you know…." Natsu said, controlling himself not to eat the fire in front of Harry.

"...I could say the same to you…." Harry whispered. "What?" Natsu said, looking at Harry. "You heard me. You shouldn't be out this late either. I know you were in the Slytherin Common Room with Lucy, Gray, and Gajeel. I know Erza was there too. And yet she didn't mind you were there! Even though she's strict just with uniform! Why is that…. Are you all hiding something from us?!" Harry interrogated. He didn't care that his head was pounding. He didn't care if people would wake up. He wanted to know what the hell was going on!

Natsu looked at Harry, then looked down. "I…. I don't know what you're talking about." Natsu muttered, looking down. Harry's eyes snapped. The next thing he knew, he sprinted at Natsu and grabbed him by the collar. "Don't screw with me…." He growled. "Why are you protecting yourself?! Why did you defend Sirius?! Are you protecting him?! Are you allies with Voldemort?!" Harry yelled, Natsu still not saying anything. "ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME! WE'RE FRIENDS! WHY CAN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Harry screamed. It was a miracle no one had come and investigated what was going on.

Natsu looked down, his hair darkening his eyes. He softly grabbed Harry's wrist, not looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry…." And with that Natsu swiftly walked past Harry still not looking him in the eye. Harry was left confused and angry. Does that mean he's not who he says he is? Was he actually working with Voldemort? Was he actually protecting Sirius somehow? But there was nothing that showed his devotion to Voldemort or Sirius…. But could he trust Natsu now? He stared at the fire, his head muddled with questions…

"What the hell is going on…?"


	68. Dark Memories

**Q: How often do I upload?**

 **A: Once a week, or at the latest, once a fortnight. I try my hardest since I do have a few things to juggle, but I am determained to keep on writing.**

 **Enjoy!**

Harry took a deep breath as he stood outside the room. He was scared stiff that he was going to go through with this, but he had to. He raised his fist, a bit of a force field preventing him from knocking. He took another breath and broke through that force field, knocking the door.

"Excuse me…." He called, opening the door slightly. No one was there, except his Defence Teacher. "Harry…. There you are, you came…" Lupin called from the top of the stairs. "Now, before we begin, I need your confirmation…" He said firmly, leaning on the balcony. "Are you sure about this Harry. This is extremely advanced magic well beyond Ordinary Wizard Level…." Harry took a bit of a gulp, then nodded. "I'm sure." He said with determination. Lupin sighed and began to walk down the stairs. "Well…. Everything is prepared. We just need to wait." He said. "Wait for what...?" Harry asked, tilting his head a bit.

Another knock on the door echoed, right on cue. "Come in." Lupin called, his hand gesturing for whoever was behind that door to come in. The door opened, and it kinda shocked Harry who was there. "Yo Professor Lupin." Lupin nodded at the boy, as the student walked in with a little salute. "Gray. Glad you could make it." Lupin smiled. "Just in time." Another boy sighed. "Gajeel, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, watching him go across the room. "Harry, you're joining us today?" A sweet voice behind him asked. Harry jumped a bit, and looked behind him. Lucy stood there with a smile, one hand on her bag strap. "Lucy….. You're here to?" Harry asked, surprised. Lucy nodded and walked past him.

"The Dementors have been bothering us too. So we decided to learn the charm to scare them off." Gray stretched. "All of you?" Harry blinked, a bit baffled. "Yep." Gajeel sighed, rubbing his head. "We don't exactly know why yet but…" Gajeel muttered, and shook his head. "I… see…" Harry nodded. Other footsteps could be heard coming behind him. He turned around and his jaw opened. He stood there, eyeing the person he didn't want to see the most.

"...Harry."

"...Natsu."

The boys stared at each other coldly, before moving on. "What's with the cold atmosphere?" Gajeel whispered to Lucy and Gray. "Hey, that ain't me." Gray defended. "Not you stripper boy, those two!" Gajeel hissed and pointed at Harry and Natsu. "They got into a fight." Lucy whispered back. "Yeah, we know. But they just seem colder…" Gray whispered. "Apparently when Natsu brought Harry back, Harry asked again and still got nothing angering him further. And not to mention Harry found out about Sirius's relationship with Harry…." Lucy explained. "Wow, quite the drama." Gray snickered.

"I can hear you you know." Natsu growled slightly towards the gossiping trio. Harry looked at the four of them, slightly bickering about something.

"Alright you five, that's enough." Lupin sighed, everyone lining up. "Now, the spell I am going to teach you is the Patronus Charm. Ever heard of it?" He asked the five students, who all shook their heads. "No? Alright…" He muttered. "A Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures one, it works like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it rather than him." The professor explained, walking in front of them towards a chest. He sat on it, sighing out as he slightly crossed his legs. "But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. And not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory." Lupin explained. "Can you do this?" He asked the students.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded. But Natsu was worried. Not worried about him and Harry. Not worried that Harry might not get it and lose concentration because of their fight, but because of Gajeel. Despite them working together for years, Gajeel was never one for…. Happiness. But still, maybe he was wrong.

"Yes… Well let's begin." Lupin held up his hand to the five in front of him. "Close your eyes…" He instructed in a slow, soothing voice, which they all did without question. "Concentrate….Explore your past…. Do you all have a memory?" He asked his students, standing up and walking behind them. Four of the students looked calm as they remembered their happiness. Joining Fairy Tail for the first time, the memories of their guardians, the first thrill of flight… but Gajeel's face was a bit twisted like he was struggling to think. "Lose yourself within it…. Then speak the Incantation, Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum." Everyone repeated. "Excellent. Now remember those memories and feelings. Harry, you first." Harry nodded and stepped forward, while the other four stepped back. "Wand at the ready…" Lupin instructed, getting ready to open the chest. Harry slipped out his wand, ready to face the monster in the chest. Lupin nodded, and undid all the locks. Harry took a deep breath, giving Lupin the final nod. Lupin flipped the lid open, fog and smoke escaping the gap. When the lid was fully open a Dementor flew out into the open, looming over everyone.

Harry's throat caught a lump, his lips quivering. He gave a swallow as the Dementor looked down on him. Natsu stepped forward, taking a bit of a fighting stance incase something went wrong, his guildmates doing the same thing.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry chanted. The candles went out due to the wind the Dementor was emitting. But that was it. Nothing was happening. "Expecto…. Expecto….!" Harry stuttered, flicking the wand at the Dementor again and again. But nothing was happening. Harry's eyes opened in fear, and the Dementor charged at him. Harry got knocked back, passing out from fear and shock.

"Harry!" Lucy screamed. The Dementor then took its attention towards the four other students in the room. Natsu stepped forward, taking out his wand. The Dementor looked at them, then began to spin around, as if it was…. Changing its shape. Lucy gasped, realising what it was. "Natsu!" She yelled. Before Natsu could realise what was going on, Professor Lupin jumped in front of them before Natsu's fear could take shape. The Dementor changed to once again a full moon.

Lucy once again had a ping in her chest, the clocks turning in her head as to why he was so afraid of a full moon. A full moon….. "Riddikulus!" Lupin chanted, the moon now turning into a balloon and flying back into the chest, and with the flick of his wand, the chest locked again. "Harry!" Gray and Lucy exclaimed, rushing towards Harry. "Professor Lupin, was that a Boggart?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Yes, that was a Boggart, very observant Mister Dragneel." Lupin muttered, making sure the chest was locked.

"Why a Boggart?! If we went first then-!" Lupin held up his hand, silencing Natsu and kneeled by Harry. "That's why I let Harry go first. I won't jeopardize your mission like that. Also you won't be using the Boggarts for you. I only used it on Harry because he needs to learn what he will be facing. And I can't use the real Dementors, because they are dangerous and hard to catch." He explained. "Harry! Harry wake up!" Gray said, shaking him slightly.

"Ugh…." Harry groaned, slightly moving. "Harry!" Lucy exclaimed, relieved. "Deep breaths, deep breaths… Here we go, come on, sit up….." Lupin said soothingly, helping his student up. "It's alright, I didn't expect you to get it the first time, that would have been remarkable. Here, eat this." Lupin offered, handing Harry a candy bar. Harry tore it open and took a bite. "That was one nasty Dementor…." Harry muttered. "Harry…" Lucy spoke up, Harry looking at her with a tilted head. "That was actually a Boggart…." She admitted. "What?" Harry repeated. "Did you actually think Professor Lupin could capture one? The Dementors would be furious and put us all at risk. Not to mention it's your first time learning the spell." Gray spewed. "I-I guess you're right…." Harry muttered.

"Hang on…. Have you guys been working on this spell too?" Harry asked, looking around. "Well we have had our run ins with the Dementor too…." Gajeel groveled. "As a matter of interest…." The professor took everyone's interest back, all of them turning their attention towards him. "What were you thinking of, out of curiosity." He asked, leaning on a column. "T-The first time I rode a broom…" Harry said still panting. Everyone looked at him, then gave a bit of a sigh. "W-What..?" Harry stuttered. "That's not good enough, not nearly good enough!" Lupin sighed. Harry sighed and stood up. "Harry…." Lucy whispered, offering to help him up, but he didn't take it.

Everyone watched him, as he looked at the candles. "There is another…" He admitted, playing with the flame. "It's not happy, exactly….. But it is! It's just complicated…" Harry muttered. "Is it strong?" Lupin asked. Harry stood there thinking for a bit, then looked at Lupin and nodded. "Well, let's give this a try." Lupin suggested, moving back to the case. "You can do this Harry." Lucy encouraged as Harry took his stance. Everyone gave him a simple complement of encouragement, except Natsu, who stood at the side watching.

"You ready?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded, holding his wand at the ready. Everyone stood back a bit, their wands at the ready too, just in case. Lupin waved his hand, the locks re-opening. Lupin opened the lid, and the Boggart flew out. Harry looked at it, his wand aimed. He took a deep breath and thought of the memory.

"Expecto Patronum!" He chanted.

Nothing, the Boggart looking at him.

"Expecto Patronum!" He chanted again a bit louder.

Still nothing, the Boggart flying in to attack. "Harry!" Gray exclaimed, about to intervene.

"Expecto! Patronun!" He yelled. As the Boggart flew in to attack, a bright blue light radiated, pushing the Boggart back. Everyone's jaws dropped, never seeing such a beautiful light emitting from the wand. The Boggart tried to push back, but could not. Harry guided the Boggart back into the chest. Lupin was amazed, laughing out of joy. Soon, the Boggart was back into its prison, Lupin locking it before it could get back out.

"Well done Harry!" Lupin praised. "That was amazing Harry!" Lucy smiled, clapping her hands together. "What was the memory?" Gray asked. "I-It was my parents…" Harry admitted, taking a seat. "Your parents?" Lucy asked. "Seeing them… together… happy and talking…. And what it would be like if…. You know…." Harry muttered. "...I think that is enough for today. Here you are." Lupin gave him another candy bar, which Harry accepted and began to chew it slowly.

"Right, Gajeel, you're up." Lupin pointed. "Huh? I-I don't think I should yet…" Gajeel said. "It's alright, we're all here to learn. Come on now, let's give it a shot." Lupin encouraged. Gajeel was a bit unsure, but he eventually caved, taking the stance. "We won't release the Boggart for you. As your fear is probably different to Harry's." Lupin explained. "Now, just remember a memory then chant "Expecto Patronum."" Lupin reminded. Gajeel took a breath, and pulled out his wand. He opened his mouth to chant the words. But then he froze.

"...Whenever you're ready." Lupin reminded him gently. "...I can't do it….." Gajeel muttered, putting his hand down. "Gajeel?" Harry asked. "I can't…. There's not a single happy memory!" He yelled, clutching his wand as he clenched his hand harder on the wand. "Gajeel….?" Natsu asked, finally breaking his silence. "All my life, I've just had bad luck and memories…. Even the good ones link back to the horrible things I've done…." He gritted. "Gajeel, I'm sure that's not-" Lucy started, putting a hand on his shoulder. "YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW IT'S TRUE!" He yelled. Lucy sharply gasped, retreating her hand. Harry caught that sentence, a confused look descended upon his face. "If I can't do this then…. What good am I….?" He whispered. "Oi Gajeel, don't-"

"Don't touch me!" Gajeel yelled, before he stormed off. "Gajeel!" Lucy called after him, only for him to ignore her. "He doesn't have a single happy memory?" Gray repeated. "I'm…. sure it's complicated…" Lucy reasoned. "It's alright, we'll give him some space. Natsu, let's see if we can get yours right this time."

After the lesson, Lucy made her own way to through the courtyard. "Lucy!" Lucy turned around at the call of her name. "Harry…" She muttered as he caught up to her. "Your Patronus looked good." Harry smiled. Lucy smiled back thanking him. "So uh…. Out of curiosity…" Harry started. "Yeah?" Lucy smiled. "Did you have any connection to Gajeel before coming to Hogwarts?" He asked. Lucy suddenly stopped, looking at Harry. "W-Why do you want to know?" She asked. "Well when you came to Hogwarts, you introduced yourself to him. But…. back there…. Gajeel said that you knew that "you out of all people know it's true"..." Harry explained. Lucy's body went stiff. Gajeel must've forgotten that Harry was there during his meltdown. "Well…." She muttered looking down. She had to think of something. Quick! "We don't-"

"Lucy!" Both the students looked to the side. Professor McGarden and Professor Scarlett came into view. "Professors!" Both students exclaimed, turning towards them. "We need you for a minute. Do you have a second to spare?" Erza asked. "Oh yes of course!" Lucy nodded, walking off with them. "Hey Lu! I heard there was a cafe in Hogsmeade I really want to try!" Levy said, extremely excited. "Oh really?" Lucy replied, the same look in her eyes.

Harry watched the three go off, a little irritated that he didn't get his answer. But was intrigued with the relationship between Levy and Lucy, as they were treating each other more like friends then teacher and student… did they know each other as well? Or was there something else going on…?

"Harry!" Harry gasped and turned around, Hagrid thumping through the halls. "What are ye doin' here? Class started five minutes ago!" He exclaimed. "Oh boy! I have potions! Snape's gonna kill me! Thanks Hagrid!" And with that, he zoomed to the classroom.

Meeting with a very unhappy Snape...


	69. Always My Children

"Ah all done!" Makarov smiled, wiping his brow. He looked over his fine work of a tidy courtyard. The paths swept clean, the symmetry of the garden beds, the crystal blue water spouting the right amount of pressure to be both enchanting and calming. He was quite proud, gathering his tools. Now he could relax as he had completed all his jobs. As he thought about and got used to it, this was quite a relaxing job compared to his other one. Probably because he didn't have to take care of all the brats. Even though he loved his children, he still thought this was a nice break from paperwork and paying for damages. He opened the door about to head inside.

"GIVE IT BACK NATSU!"

"NOOOO I NEED IT!"

Makarov sharply turned around, knowing those voices. Gray tackled Natsu to the ground both of them rolling in the courtyard. He gave a shriek as the boys rolled over the flowers and trampled the grass. "Give me my wand Natsu!" Gray screamed. "I lost mine!" Natsu yelled, struggling for the wand. "THEN TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOUR STUFF IDIOT!" Gray yelled again. Gray managed to snatch the wand out of his hands and scrambled away. But Natsu was one step ahead and grabbed his legs, causing him to fall forward and crash into the fountain breaking the rim all the way. The water flowed onto the grass causing a huge muddy mess. "Oh that is it!" Gray exclaimed, putting his fist and palm together, a frost emitting from his hands. "You wanna go?!" Natsu growled, flicking his arms and his palms igniting.

Makarov stared in shock, as the boys began to use their actual magic. Orange flames and blue ice flashed in his face. The courtyard began to burn and freeze all over, aking Makarov slowly lose it. He began to growl, hunching over and tightening his fists. "WILL YOU TWO MUTTON HEADS STOP IT?!" He demanded. In a blind fury, his hands grew to a titan size and picked up the boys before slamming them into the grass.

The two boys looked sheepishly, dirt and grass spread across their faces and uniform. "I SPENT THREE HOURS TRYING TO GET THIS COURTYARD INTO ACCEPTABLE CONDITION, AND YOU TWO RUINED IT IN TEN SECONDS!" He yelled at the two idiots. "Sorry Master…." The boys muttered. "YOU WILL BE! YOU TWO WILL START CLEANING NOW!" He screamed, pointing at the now ruined garden. "Yeah actually…. We can't. We have a three hour test now so…. Yeah!" Gray said, standing up and patting Makarov on the shoulder before leaving. "Wha-!" Makarov exclaimed, watching him leave. "Yeah we gotta go, bye!" Natus said, following him. As he did, he tried to reach into Gray's clothes and try to reach for his wand. When he did he began to walk faster. "What the-! NATSU…!" Gray called after him and began to chase him.

Makarov turned back around, looking at the mess he had to clean up. Again.

He panted and swiped his brow. He was FINALLY finished. It wasn't as clean as before, but at least it wasn't in that mess. He gave a heavy sigh and began to make his way to his room. Now he reaaaally needed that rest. He finally made his way back to his dingy room and faced himself flat down on his creaky bed. "Finally, some peace and qui-"

"Oh Makarov good you're not busy!" Makarov turned around, noticing Lucy and Levy standing at his door. "Levy, Lucy! Come come in my children! What ails you?" He asked with a smile. "W-Well…. We were researching the library and well…."

Makarov's jaw dropped as his eyes laid on the the mountains and mountains of broken shelves and damaged books. "What did you two do?!" Makarov exclaimed. "It's not Lucy's fault sir! I was trying to help Lucy for a book and I slipped and I accidently landed on the shelf behind and well…." Levy muttered, thinking he didn't need to know the rest. "And we can't use magic in here and Filch scares us…" Lucy shivered. "We would help you. We definitely would! But I have a class to look over for an exam and Lucy has a Potions Test…. So we can't help." Levy apologised, rubbing her head. Makarov blankly blinked into the empty space. "M-Master?" Lucy asked, waving her hand in front of his face. Still nothing. "U-Um… we'll come straight back when we're done…" Levy said, she and Lucy slowly backing away before he could do anything. When they left, Makarov looked around the library and rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. He sighed, and got to work.

He grunted as he pushed the last shelf up. It was lucky he had Titan Magic otherwise it would probably take him days to clean. He pushed in the last book into place and sighed, sluggishly moving towards the door. When he opened the door, there stood Erza and Mira, about to knock on the door. "Ah Master Makarov! Not to busy are you?"

Makarov sweeped the halls, sighing. He stopped sighing and bending his back backwards, resulting in unhealthy crack. "Gah! Ow my back!" Makarov exclaimed, now bending forward. He was now thinking that maybe he wanted to stick to his old job. Today he had to fix the garden again because of Natsu and Gray, clean the Library because of Lucy and Levy, Mira and Erza decided to have the brilliant idea of having their students fight while transforming causing the destruction of the Quidditch Yard, and Wendy's lesson went horribly awry when one of the students made a wrong move causing the poor creature to destroy the room in a panic. He had a lingering thought that everyone was doing this on purpose just to get back at him.

"Agh….. I'm getting old for this…" He groaned, rubbing his back. He decided maybe it was time for a break. A long, needed, break. But he only had one hour before he and the teachers needed to practice the Patronus charm. He walked towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. He sighed making his way down to his room. As he turned a corner deeper into the stairwell, he noticed a black spiky haired boy sitting on the side of the stairs. "Excuse me young man but you're not aloud to sit on the-" The kid turned around with a grunt. "Gajeel? What are you doing here? Aren't you meant to be with Natsu, Gray, and Lucy right now?" Makarov asked. Gajeel looked at Makarov, then back away.

"Alright, looks like someone needs a talk." Makarov sighed, taking a seat next to him. "What's troubling you my boy?" He asked in that Grandfather tone of voice. "...I can't get the Patronus charm…." Gajeel admitted under his breath. "And why is that?" Makarov asked. "Because to successfully do the charm one needs a happy memory… And I don't have any…." Gajeel grumbled. "Oh? None at all?" Makarov repeated, feeling a bit offended that even thought joining Fairy Tail was a bad memory. Gajeel shook his head. "All the happy memories I have are connected to the bad ones….. I can't think of any happy memory that links back to a bad one…." He muttered, curling up in a ball. "What about meeting Lily?" Makarov suggested. "I tried with that one. It wasn't powerful enough..." He sighed.

"...What about your fellow guildmates?"

"The ones I fought with and tried to kill?"

"Joining Fairy Tail?"

"Destroyed it and you yourself said you'd never ever forgive me for hurting your guildmates."

"How about your time at Hogwarts?"

"You mean being away from everyone and being around Draco Malfoy?"

"...You're being really negative here and that is not helping…." Makarov grumbled, rubbing his forehead. He gave a sigh and looked forward. "How about your relationship with Metalicana?" He finally asked. "Huh?" Gajeel looked at Makarov, confused. "Surely you've had good memories with him." Makarov smiled. Gajeel gave a chuckle and looked down. "Yeah… Even though he'd insult me, he taught me everything I knew…." He smiled. "When he disappeared it was really hard for me…" He sighed. "But it made you happy didn't it?" Makarov smiled. Gajeel's eyes widened as he flashed back to his days with Metalicana.

Metalicana teaching him magic, reading, writing, taking him to the skies…. And even though he would insult Gajeel to no end, he was still his father, and Gajeel had felt the happiest with him. He felt a warm feeling in his chest, clutching it as he smiled. "I think you've found your happy memory. You better go to meet with the others. Go have a try." Makarov smiled, patting him on the back. "Thank you Master…" Gajeel thanked as he stood up and ran to the room. Makarov smiled, watching his child run. He sighed, lifting himself up with a huff. He looked behind him again, smiling.

"That was very well done Makarov." A sweet voice giggled. "Master Mavis…" Makarov greeted, spotting her in a painting. "I always sensed a bit of a troubled soul in him… but I feel like you've tackled it very well." She praised. "Thank you Master Mavis…" Makarov smiled. "I'm happy that you're Fairy Tail's Master…. It's the one of the best decisions Precht had made…" She said, putting her hands to her chest. "You should be extremely proud." She smiled. "Well, it is my job as a Master. I will do anything for my children." He smiled. "Master!" Makarov looked up, Natsu skidding around the corner. "Clog in the toilet! I tried flushing it and it's flooding everything!" He yelled, pointing down the hallway. Makarov shivered, looking back at Mavis who had a cringed look to her face.

"And I mean anything…."


	70. Homesick

**WOAH SEVENTY CHAPTERS!**

 **How often do you see a fanfic with seventy chapters?! This is so amazing! Almost two years since I've started this story woo! Time sure does fly!**

 **Thank you to all who have supported this story from the very beginning! Despite its... flaws and loopholes but it's still an amazing achievement, and I couldn't have done it without you guys!**

 **Anywho enjoy!**

Natsu leaned on his palm, staring out the window. The feather of his quill bounced up and down his paper, clear his mind was in a daze. He was bored. He sighed, looking back at the book he had to study. He had only been at it for five minutes, but he thought he needed a break, he couldn't think of where to start. He stood up and stretched, closing the book. He picked it up and tucked it under his arm heading out of the study hall, his robes floating as he walked. Maybe a change of locations could help….

His mind went blank as he walked aimlessly around the castle, wondering where to go. When he reached the edge of the castle, his mind automatically thought about the lake ten minutes away from the school. He gave a shrug and began making his way there.

He spotted the lake and smiled, hoping his mind would have peace to study. More likely to procrastinate. But at least he tried. "So Hagrid? How did it go? The hearing?" Natsu froze, hearing voices from far away. He ducked behind a tree and peeped out. He saw Hagrid skimming stones on the lake while three teens were talking with the half giant. Natsu didn't need to ask. He knew who those three were.

Hagrid gave a sigh, flicking another stone. "Well, first off, the committee members took turns talking about why we were there." He skimmed another stone, watching it skip the surface before it dropped to the bottom of the lake. "I got up and did my piece. Said how Buckbeak was a good hippogriff. Always cleaned his feathers. And then Lucius Malfoy got up. Well, you can imagine. He said Buckbeak was a deadly and dangerous creature who would kill you as soon as he looked at ye."

"And then?" Hermione asked. Hagrid stopped, looking out on the lake. Natsu peered out a little more, waiting for the response. "And then he asked for the worst, did old Lucius…." Hagrid said, trying to hold back his tears. "They're not sacking you!" Ron groaned. "No, I'm not sacked…" Hagrid reassured, flicking another stone. He gave a gasp, couldn't look at the children.

"Buckbeak's been sentenced to death!" He cried. Natsu gasped, dropping his book with a heavy thud. His mouth dropped, then his jaw turned to a grit. He turned with a sharp heel and sped walk back to the school. He was furious! First Norman then Buckbeak! He hated it! It wasn't right!

He stormed into the meeting room where Wendy and Gajeel were sitting, minding their own business. They watched Natsu burst it and stop at the door, fists clenched. "Grr…. DAMN IT!" He roared, side punching the wall leaving a huge crack. "Woah woah woah! What's wrong Salamander?! You can't just go punching walls like that!"

"What's going on?!" A voice called up above, Lucy and Gray leaning over the balcony. "This idiot just showed up punching the wall!" Gajeel yelled, pointing at Natsu. "What? Why?" Gray asked. "Did something happen?!" Lucy gasped, making their way down. "It's Buckbeak…" Natsu muttered, still looking down. "Buckbeak? You mean the Hippogriff from Care of Magical Creatures?" Gajeel asked, tilting his head. "The one that attacked Malfoy?" Gray finished, looking at Lucy and she looking at him. "Oh that's right… I heard that Hagrid was called into the Council today to discuss the incident." Wendy remembered.

Everyone looked at Natsu who was still looking down. "Natsu…. What happened…" Lucy asked, very worried. "The committee agreed that Buckbeak was dangerous…." Everyone in the room tensed up, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"He's been sentenced to death…"

Everyone's faces paled. They couldn't believe it. "No way…" Lucy gasped. Everyone stood there in shock and silence, not knowing what to do. "What should we do?" Lucy asked in a whisper. "...We're rescuing Buckbeak!" Natsu declared, turning around. "Natsu no! We can't do that!" Wendy said, standing up aas her chair screeched under her. "Why not?! Hagrid already lost Norman! Now he's losing Buckbeak as well! Hasn't he lost enough?! I thought you and Gajeel would know that! Even Lucy and Gray too!" Natsu shouted, pointing at the latter two.

"Natsu, trust me, I know how hard this feels, but we're in a different world and on an undercover mission! We can't expose ourselves to anyone! If this world's Magic Council knew who we are and where we come from, we could put everyone here in jeopardy!" Wendy reasoned. "Then let's do it without getting caught!" Natsu yelled. "Natsu! Wait!" Lucy grabbed his wrist, stopping him from leaving the room. "We'll save Buckbeak, I promise. But for now we have to lay low." She explained calmly. "Otherwise we might put this school, the Wizarding World, and the Muggle World in jeopardy." She said. Natsu said nothing, still staring at the door.

Lucy took a deep breath and looked at Natsu again. "Look, I know it's been a few years since we've been here. I know you miss home and you miss everyone, and you're still trying to find Igneel. We'll find a way to save Buckbeak. I promise." Natsu didn't do anything for a while, then Lucy let go. "Natsu you okay?" Gray asked. "...I'll be in the Common Room." He said with gruff and made his way out.

Natsu stood outside the Fat Lady, still minding her own business. "Hey Fat Lady." Natsu greeted. "How are you feeling? Better?" Natsu asked. "Oh, well when one is attacked you can't forget. I don't think I ever will." She said with a bit of a scoff. "I see… at least you're unhurt." Natsu muttered. "Anyway, I need to get in." Natsu said sadly. "Password?" The Fat Lady asked. "You know I don't need one right?" Natsu said bitterly. "I know but I still need to hear it." She said with a bit of a smug. Natsu gave a deep sigh. "Fortuna Major." Natsu said. "There was that so hard?" The Fat Lady asked, opening the door for Natsu. Natsu rolled his eyes a bit, then went inside.

"Natsu wait up!"

Natsu turned around, Ron running up, Harry walking up behind him and entering before the door closed. "Hey guys! What's up?" Natsu asked with a smile and folded his arms, trying to show nothing was wrong. Harry stared at him, still annoyed and angry at him. "Uh.. We found this near the lake." Ron muttered, giving Natsu his book back. Natsu paled a bit, forgetting he dropped his book. "Oh! Thanks! I've been looking for this all week! Glad that I don't have to worry 'bout paying to return it." Natsu lied through his beaming smile.

"Natsu, we know you were there. We saw you leave the area. Your hair gives you away." Ron said bluntly pointing at his hair. Natsu felt a ping of guilt. He dropped the act and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to listen in I was just trying to find a place to study was all." Natsu admitted. "You okay Natsu? You seem a bit down…" Ron noticed. "Yeah, it was just a shock for me when Buckbeak was sentenced to death you know…" Natsu said, looking at his book. "It wasn't his fault. Malfoy shouldn't have provoked him." Natsu continued. "First Norman now Buckbeak…. It's not fair…." Natsu gritted.

"Natsu… this isn't about Igneel is it?" Ron asked. Natsu looked up, wondering what he meant. "What do you mean?" Natsu asked. "Well, you seem to be projecting the loss of Norman and Buckbeak onto yourself somehow. And you did say so yourself that Igneel disappeared." Ron explained. Natsu looked down, thinking about it. The more he did, the more memories rushed to his head.

" _I know it's been a few years since we've been here. I know you miss home and you miss everyone."_

" _Norman's scared! Don't take Norman away from mummy!"_

" _I-I can read and write! Igneel taught me how!"_

" _You said you wanted to be a member of Fairy Tail right? Well come on!"_

He softly gasped, realising it. It just hit him, a tear rolling down his face. He missed home…. How stupid was he to have not feel it all this time! "Natsu are you alright?" Harry asked, looking at his friend with concern. Natsu rubbed his eyes and looked at them with a smile. "Yeah I'm fine." He reassured. "I better go study." Natsu muttered turning around to head to his room. "Oh and Natsu one last thing." Ron called out. Natsu turned around as he went halfway up the stairs.

"Hermione said that you might do something stupid and try to rescue Buckbeak." Ron started. "Wha~! Pfft! I don't do stupid things." Natsu said with a bit of a chuckle. Ron and Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Natsu, don't you remember the Fire Crab incident that happened last week?" Ron reminded him. "Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Natsu defended immediately. "You said you wanted to have a taste and picked one up causing the incident to happen." Harry said with a straight face. "I still don't know what he means by that!" Ron whispered.

"Anyway! Hermione said not to do anything. At least not yet." Ron said, getting to the point. "Trust us, we want to do something as well, but this is the Ministry we're talking about." Ron reassured. Natsu tightened his grip on the railing. He wanted to yell at them for not doing something sooner, but his relationship with Harry was strained enough as it was. And Ron had a point. He had gotten in enough trouble as it is. "...Fine." Natsu sighed and finally made his way up. Natsu put the book away, resulting in a heavy sigh. He slapped his cheeks, refreshing himself and forgetting the horrible events of today. He plastered a big smile and looked over to Happy, who was sleeping. He looked at him and thought he himself needed a nap. He laid next to his fluffy and cheerful companion and began to drift off.

Dreaming of Magnolia.


	71. Map of Conspiracy

**May Update**

Harry stayed up as he couldn't sleep that night. He chewed on his chocolate frogs, looking over the Marauders Map. He sighed, watching the teachers make their rounds around the quiet school.

"Ugh…. ugh! Ugh! No no spiders!" Ron cried, springing himself up from bed. He panted, looking around still half asleep. He saw a fuzzy light at Harry's bed and stared straight at it. "Spiders, wanted me to tap dance! I don't wanna tap dance!" He panicked at Harry. "You tell those spiders Ron." Harry told him, gesturing to wand towards Ron. He stared at Harry for a bit, before nodding. "Yeah… tell them, tell them…." He muttered as if in some hypnotic chant, lying back down to sleep.

Harry sighed through his nose, and turned a page of the map. He grabbed another snack, about to take a big bite bit then stopped, a name he recognised from Hogsmeade….

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. _"P-Peter Pettigrew?!"_ He thought sharply. He immediately jumped out of bed and running out the door, careful not to wake anyone up. However, he was unaware that one boy in his dorm had highly sensitive senses...

Harry followed the map, wanting to catch this Peter Pettigrew and confront him. He looked down at the map, apologizing to the paintings that woke up from his Lumos. Harry looked at the map, Peter's footsteps running towards him. Harry braced himself as Peter came closer and closer. He held his breath, looking around as Harry should have seen Peter by now. But he couldn't find him. He looked and looked, waving the light around, his sharp breaths panting as he searched every muscle in his body tensing.

 _..._

 _*Pat*_

Harry gasped sharply and turned around, his wand swinging in front of him. The boy that followed him jumped back, putting his hands up in defence and surrender. "Dude chill. It's only me."

Harry blinked, then panted and sighed in relief and doubled over. "Natsu, what are you doing here?" Harry gasped, trying to get his heart rate down. "Heard you leave so I decided to get you back." Natsu reasoned, folding his arms. "Well I don't need your help Natsu." Harry gritted, before turning around and slowly heading down the hallway. He began to check the map, ignoring Natsu's presence.

"Look, Harry we don't have much time. We have to go before-"

"Shush! Professor Snape is coming!" Harry hissed, walking forward. He tapped his wand at the map, chanting the charm that made the map's details disappear. "Nox!" He whispered, planting the hallway in darkness. But it didn't do anything.

A bright light came from behind Harry, Natsu's face going white. Harry slowly turned around, his worst fear come to life. Snape stood there, his wand pointing at Harry and Natsu and gave them a slight look of disgust. "Potter. Dragneel. What are you doing in the corridors this time of night?" He asked bitterly. "I-I was sleepwalking…." Harry muttered, obvious that he was lying. "I-I was trying to get him back to the dorms sir…" Natsu responded.

Snape looked between the two boys, then snapped his attention back to Harry. "Extraordinary like your father Potter. He too was exceedingly arrogant, strutting around the castle…" He gritted. "My father didn't strut." Harry gritted and spat, as he would not let anyone dirty his deceased father's name. "And nor do I. Now I would appreciate it if you could lower your wand." Harry said with determination and fitness, not wanting to having to deal with this right now. Snape stared at Harry, then gave a harsh squint at Natsu, who looked down in embarrassment. But he did lower his wand down to his pockets. "Turn out your pockets…" He ordered. And that's where Harry knew he had lost. He didn't do anything at first, Snape ordering him once more with a bit more authority in his voice. Harry sighed, doing as Snape said.

Harry held out the blank map. Snape looked at the map, asking what it was. Harry said it was simply parchment paper, which Snape doubted. "Open it." He ordered, Harry obliging unwillingly. Snape lightly tapping his wand on the map. "Reveal your secrets…" He chanted, the map revealing itself. "Read it." He ordered. Harry sighed, and began to read the Map.

"Mrs Moony, Wormtail, Patford and Prongs offer their compliments to Professor Snape…. And…." Harry stopped reading, thinking a bit. "And?" Snape urged. Harry looked straight up to the Potion teacher's face and said to him that he should be requested to keep his big nose out of other people's' business.

Natsu stood there, mouth agape. He tried his best not to laugh, holding his hand up to his mouth. Snape, now infuriated, began to tell Harry off, only to be interrupted. "Professor." A voice called out from the Slytherin head. Everyone instantly turned towards the voice, the Defence teacher emerging from the shadows. "Well well well…. Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight are we?"

Lupin stepped forward, asking what the problem was. The two teachers talked about the discovery, Lupin being more cheerful than Snap about the whole ordeal. But in the end, Harry went with Lupin for a talk. Once they were gone, Snape turned his attention to the fire dragon slayer. "Don't think for a second I forgot about you…." Snape sneered. Natsu stood there, sweating in the presence of this man. "My office. Right now." Snape ordered, grabbing Natsu's wrist and dragging him to the office.

A few hours passed, all the Fairy Tail members waiting in the silence of Snape's office. They were all tired, and needless to say not happy being woken up at two in the morning. "What the hell did you do Natsu?!" Erza growled softly. "Why am I the one that's always accused!?" Natsu whispered back harshley. "Well, you do always destroy things. It's as if you have some kind of power of bad luck." Mira joked, trying to lighten the situation. "I do not!" Natsu yelled back.

"Quiet!" Snape ordered at his desk, eyes on paperwork. Everyone going back to silence. "Um… what exactly are we waiting for?" Wendy whispered softly to her guildmates. "Well, seeing as Master Makarov isn't here yet, perhaps we're waiting for him." Charla suggested. Lily nodded with a grunt. "He is the only one missing….." He muttered. Gajeel and Levy looked at each other, Happy looking down with his cute eyes.

The door to Snape's office burst open, everyone looking at a grumpy sore backed old man midget walk through the door. "Alright… what did my brats do this time…?" Makarov groaned, rubbing his temples. Snape stood up from his desk, and walked around. "Master Makarov, I ask that you keep your degenerates in order!" Snape began. "What?! Degenerates?!" Everyone yelled. "Natsu Dragneel was wandering the halls with Mister Potter investigating the castle! If I remember correctly, you are meant to keep everyone OUT of the secret, NOT help aid them in this castle's secrets!" Snape went on, pointing at the pink haired teen.

"Hey, he left his room I was only trying to get him back!" Natsu defended. "In any case, I suggest you and your underlings be more careful in the future!" Snape sneered. Makarov stood there, listening to the criticisms and folded his arms. "...Natsu my boy, why did you not don the cloak that Dumbledore gifted you?" Makarov asked him kindly. "And risk my identity?" Natsu rebutted. "Well as you can see Professor Snape, Natsu only had the best intentions in mind. As careless as my brats may be, Fairy Tail Always has the best intentions in mind. And do not worry. After all, you have that Memory charm do you not? So if something were to happen we can erase their memory." Makarov reassured with a cheeky smile.

"Magic isn't something you can fool around with!"  
"In our culture it can be."  
"But this isn't your world Makarov!"  
"This is our mission. And if we wish to carry it out this way so be it! Dumbledore is the headmaster, not you. If he is not happy with the way we do it, I'm sure he will tell us what you just said.." Makarov finished.

Snape stood there, completely enraged, but kept his cool. "Make sure those…. Buffoons are in check!" Snape spat, before he left the office. "Well…" Lucy muttered. "That was pleasant…" She muttered. "We just got yelled at how was that pleasant?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded. "She was being sarcastic lava brain." Gray insulted, looking a bit annoyed. "Who you calling lava brain?!" Natsu yelled, beginning to tug at Gray's hair who in turn tugged at Natsu's cheek and mouth.

"WILL YOU TWO STOP IT!" Makarov ordered, whacking them both in the head with his Titan fists. "S-Sorry sir…." Both of them muttered, bumps pulsing from their heads. "So what do we do now?" Erza asked, folding her arms and leaning against Snape's desk. "We'll need to be more careful from now on. Even though no one likes Snape, he still has a point. We do have a reputation to be…. Loud, so from now on, all in secret. At least for now." Makarov ordered.

Natsu looked down, not wanting to do this. Secrets had already ruined his relationship with Harry. But orders were orders, so for now, he'll follow it. And hopefully, he would restore his friendship with Harry.

Hopefully.

Natsu went back to his room, trying to be silent as he walked through the school halls. Before he reached the door, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Natsu jumped and came face to face with Professor Lupin. "P-Professor..." He stuttered. "Natsu... I have disturbing news..." Lupin whispered. Natsu turned around fully, wondering what he was talking about. "While using the map, Harry spotted Peter Pettigrew." Lupin whispered.

"Peter Pettigrew...?" Natsu repeated. Lupin was about to speak, but felt a jolt in his chest. "I will explain later. Take this." Lupin gave Natsu the blank parchment paper he saw with Harry earlier. "I-Isn't this..." Natsu muttered. "Yes. I put the instructions with it and modified the map so that you and your guildmates will be hidden on the map. Use it wisely. And don't let Harry see it!" Lupin said through grunts and left abruptly.

Natsu watched, tilting his head, then looked at the map. He hummed, then took out his wand, pointing at the map. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." He chanted, the map revealing the map. Natsu flipped through, amazed of this map's properties. He pointed back at the map, chanting the words to reverse the effect. A million questions raced through his mind...

But for now, Natsu decided to retire for the night.


	72. Sparing a Thought

**Hi everyone, sorry I can't update for the past few weeks I've been extremely busy. But I managed to write a little side chapter to keep everyone happy while I keep working.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Waaaaah where has Gray-sama gone?!" Juvia cried, flooding the guild hall for the third time that day. "Juvia stop it, I'm sure he just left on a mission!" Marco panicked, trying to keep the guild from destruction. Again. B-But Gray-sama should have asked meeeee!" The poor girl cried, her tears becoming an ocean.

It had been exactly three days since Makarov and some others disappeared. The members didn't think much of it since he was probably called for a meeting and asked the group of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards to accompany him. "Juvia calm down I'm sure he'll be back soon." Wakaba chimed in, his pipe moving as he talked. Juvia stopped crying, rubbing her eyes. "Y-You think so...?" She stuttered. "Of course they will! And besides, it's not like a repeat of seven years ago, it should be fine!" He said with a smile.

Juvia nodded as she stood up and clenched her fist. "You're right... I must stay strong for my darling when he returns! And when he does I shall bake him a cake in return!" She vowed as she ran towards Fairy Hills. "She really loves Gray huh..." Lisanna chuckled from the other side of the guild. "Of course, he's a MAN!" Her older brother exclaimed, flexing his muscles. "Though I hope big sister Mira is alright..." Lisanna sighed.

Romeo sat at the bar, deep in thought. He didn't know why but... he couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right... "Romeo, is something bothering you?" Laki asked, who took Mira's place at the bar. "Don't you think it's odd gramps would ask eight people to accompany him?" Romeo asked, looking at Laki. "Hey, the old man decided to take them. So we should respect that." Laxus reminded him from the other side of the bar, his bodyguard trio nodding in agreement. "Laxus is right. They'll be fine Romeo." Max added with a smile.

But Romeo just didn't know. He sighed, placing his forehead on his hands staring at the wooden bar below.

 _"I hope they're safe..."_ He thought.


	73. Curiosity

**Good news I am officially done with uni for the year yay! I can FINALLY focus on my writtings and other creative practices!**

 **Anyway regarding the last chapter, IT IS NOT CANON TO THE STORY! I wrote it on a whim to help keep you guys engaged with the story, so to all the people who thought or said it was pointless, you are completely right.**

 **Anyway enjoy the latest chapter! Might update later.**

 **Enjoy!**

Lucy skimmed through the books, trying to find a good book to read during break times. She pulled out a green book and stared on the cover, reading the title and author. "Invisible Friends by Arthur Kirkland." She muttered, opening it up. "The world of magic can be full of secrets. I am one of the three last wizards in the world who can see invisible creatures that reside in the muggle world." This gave Lucy a ping of interest and sat down at a nearby table to read.

Something suddenly caught her eye and turned her head sharply to the side, but she was greeted with nothing. She shrugged and went back to her book. Harry panted at the panic of almost getting caught. He had been shadowing Lucy for the past three days, suspecting that she was hiding something.

"Harry?"

Harry visibly jumped at the mention of his name and turned around. "Oh Ginny..." He muttered. "What are you doing spying like that?" She asked innocently. "I-I wasn't spying." Harry denied. "Harry, you don't have your back on a shelf like that unless you didn't want to be seen. Who were you looking at?" She asked, taking a peek around the bookshelf.

Her innocent, smiling face suddenly dropped, seeing Lucy mutter to herself, flipping through her book. Ginny turned back to Harry, looking a bit upset. "Why were you spying on Lucy? She already engaged to Natsu." She asked with a bit of force. Harry gave a bit of a defeated sigh, pulling Ginny aside away from Lucy's hearing.

"I think Lucy has something to do with the strange white cloaked people around school…" Harry told her. Ginny looked at him, extremely confused. "White cloaked people? What are you talking about?" She whispered. "Unless you're talking about the dementors but they're black, and as if they'd want to work with a student." Ginny muttered to in thought.

Harry bit his lip, then shook his head and walked past Ginny. "It's fine, don't worry about it…" He muttered. Ginny watched him spy on Lucy a bit longer, before she sighed and left. Harry turned his head, watching her leave, then looked back at Lucy.

A couple of minutes later, she looked at her watch and closed the book and put it in her bag. She stood up and made her way to the out of the library, walking towards the opposite way of Harry. He swiftly followed Lucy as she left the library, keeping far enough that no one thought of him strangely, but close enough to keep an eye on the blond. He didn't let her out of his sight, not even when she turned corners. That was until he heard an annoying and taunting voice behind him.

"Well well well Potter? Spying on a taken girl? Didn't know you were that kind of person." A voice snickered. Harry closed his eyes, internally groaning. " _Why now?"_ He thought. "Not now Malfoy!" He hissed, not bothering to turn around. "Aw come on Potter? Can't resist the curiosity?" This made Harry stop, turning around to face the grey eyed smirking snob with only Gajeel behind him. "What are you talking about?" Harry asked with a bit of poison in his voice.

"Come on, you know she's hiding something. You had the nagging voice in your head didn't you? That there's something about her that doesn't belong here…" He slithered, clearly trying to choose his words carefully. In the corner of Harry's eye, he could see Gajeel slowly tensing, but he shook it off. "What are you getting at Malfoy?" Harry hissed, not having any time for this. "Nothing. Just glad you opened your eyes for once." He said with a snark and walked away, Gajeel slowly following behind. He gave an extremely loud cough as he walked past Harry.

Harry watched them leave for their next study period, before turning his attention back to where Lucy was heading. He ran down the hallway, spotting the blond walking up a flight of stairs. He followed her, not knowing where she was going. It was as if she were leading him in circles. She turned a corner, cutting away from Harry's vision for a second. When Harry turned the corner, she was gone.

As if she just disappeared into thin air.

Harry was so confused, he looked around the hallway and through the nearby open doors, but she was nowhere to be found. Harry gave a frustrated and confused sigh. How could someone just disappear? He gave up, and began to think who else he could shadow. Maybe Professor Scarlett but he couldn't follow her wherever she went. The other person he could think about was… Natsu….

But at the present situation, Natsu probably wanted to stay far away from him. But he seemed like that kind of person that would tell all if you asked, but at the same time he did ask questions before he would get defensive or try to throw them off course. That's what got them into the fight in the first place.

He groaned, his hand going through his hair. Maybe he should talk to Ron and Hermione to figure out what they should do. He turned around and began to walk towards the Common Room.

As soon as he left, two grey beings floated down their arms constantly moving from side to side.

"That was close piri piri!"

"I agree piri piri!"

"We should go back before we're spotted piri piri!"

"Yes let's go back to Lucy piri piri!"

"Man that was close! Thanks for the heads up Gajeel." Lucy thanked, putting her bag down once she reached the hidden room. "It's no worries. Dumbledore doesn't want anyone to know about us yet…" He muttered.

"Lucy! Mission is complete piri piri!"

Lucy smiled, looking up at the celestial spirit of Gemini. "Thanks Gemini! Knew I could count on you." She smiled. "It's no problem for our mistress!" One of the spirits said cheerfully. "I told you before I'm not a mistress." She smiled. "Anyway, you better get going back. Thanks again for your help." Lucy thanked. "Of course piri piri!" The twin spirits chanted before disappearing with a poof.

"What was that all about?"

Lucy and Gajeel turned their heads to the entrance, Gray and Natsu entering with Happy trailing behind. "Harry was following Lucy around so she used Gemini to distract him." Gajeel explained, Lucy giving a playful wave. "Why was he following you?" Natsu asked, taking a seat next to Lucy. "Well, he asked me if I had an older sister and I said no…" She muttered, putting her fingers on her chin. "Not to mention that Hermione saw Virgo and she told Harry and Ron about it asked questions…" Natsu added.

"You don't think that they're onto us?" Gray asked. "I don't know…" Lucy admitted, sighing as she shook her head. "Anyway, what did you want to talk to us about Natsu?" She asked, changing subjects. "Oh yeah! Take a look at this…" Natsu smiled mischievously and pulled out a brown piece of paper. "Tada!" He smiled, holding it in the air like it was a trophy.

"Yes, paper. Very interesting. Maybe your brain could use it for once." Gray said in a sarcastic tone. "What was that?!" Natsu yelled, launching himself at Gray. Lucy sighed, facepalming as Gajeel snickered at the scene. She looked at the brown paper resting on the table and picked it up. She unfolded it, ignoring the grunts and insults behind her. But it was blank, making her confused. "Uh Natsu?" The boys stopped fighting, and looked at Lucy, who held the paper up. "There's nothing on here." She said.

"Oh right!" Natsu cleared his throat as he readied his wand. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good!" He chanted and tapped the map with his wand. Slowly, the map began to reveal itself in black ink blotches. The other three watched in awe, Natsu grinning. "Cool right? And look!" He pointed at the map with two footsteps on the oval with the words "Erza Scarlet" at the bottom of the feet. "Erza's here teaching, and over here, you can see Master Mavis doing her daily routes through the paintings!" Natsu explained.

"Wait, is this the Marauders Map?" Lucy asked. "Yep! Uses the same magic as the dome on the fifth floor. Researched it myself." Natsu beamed. "And to make it disappear, you just chant mischief mangled." Natsu informed. "Wow, this could be a great asset to our mission here! What does Erza think?" Gray asked, taking a closer look at the map. "What? Oh no! I was gonna use it for pranks!"

"...Hah?"

"I can see the look on Erza's face when I cast an illusion spell or something and scare the living daylights out of her! Or find out where the teachers sleep and release cornish pixies in their room or-"

 _SMACK!_

"I think we should keep this away from Natsu. I'll be incharge of it and I'll tell the others about the map later." Lucy decided, taking the map. "Agreed." Gajeel and Gray nodded, an unconscious Natsu laying face down with a dent in his head. Lucy flicked out her wrist, looking at her watch and sighed. "And now it's time for Erza's lessons. Come on let's go." Lucy sighed, the boys groaning and following behind her.


	74. Soul and Heart

"Broaden your minds! You must look beyond! The art of crystal gazing, is in the clearing of the Inner Eye! Only then can you see! Try again." The professor exclaimed dramatically, as the crystal balls swirled with mist and clouds inside its fragile glass. To any muggle it would be so fascinating, but to the students there, they were getting tired. Of waiting. Harry stared at the ball, his mind floating away up to the point where he didn't even know how much time had passed.

Meanwhile, Ron and Natsu had their heads down on the tables, snoring away, bored from the lesson and Erza's workout earlier that day. Lucy looked at her partner, getting more and more ticked off with his stupid snores. "I swear, how did I ever fall for you…." She grumbled under her breath. Natsu gave a sleepy smile, raising his fist, little flames surrounding his hand. She suddenly gasped, and whacked him on the head as hard as she could to wake him up.

"OW!" Natsu cried, his head cracked into the table, his hands twitching. "Idiot. Don't fall asleep in class!" She scolded. But deep down she was thankful that she got there in time. She looked at the table in front of her, Professor Trelawney approaching Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Now, what do we have here?" Trelawney asked, snapping Ron and Harry awake. "Do you mind me trying?" Hermione asked, Trelawney giving her the floor. Hermione stared at the ball for a while, until she came to her answer. "The Grim, possibly." She said.

The teacher looked at the ball, then back at Hermione, her face telling everyone that she was looking for a better answer. "My dear…" She began, taking Hermione by the hand, giving it a pat. "From the first moment you stepped foot in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Deviation…" She sighed, Hermione becoming more aggressive. "No, you see, there." She opened up Hermione's hand, reading her palm. "You may be young in years, but your heart is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave." The teacher closed Hermione's hand, giving it a pat.

Lucy's jaw dropped. Sure this teacher may be an airhead but those words just shocked her. Hermione snatched her hand out of Trelawney and stood up, grabbing her bag. As she stormed out of the room, she deliberately knocked the crystal ball over and walked away. Everyone began to murmur, wondering what was going on with her. As she walked away, the rolling crystal ball followed her, everyone could hear the clinks of the ball bouncing down the stairs.

Trelawney looked away from the door, then around her students. "Was it something I said?" She asked, utterly confused. Lucy groaned, facepalming. She stood up, grabbing her bag and following Hermione out, leaving Natsu alone. "Luce?" Natsu stood up, going to follow them as well. "S-Something wrong Mister Dragneel?" The professor stuttered. "Oh, n-no miss…." Natsu muttered, sitting back down. "G-Good. T-Tell me what you see…" She asked. Natsu tilted his head, wondering why this teacher was just…. Afraid of him. It's been like this since their first lesson… "Uh… Swirly gas?" Natsu asked, looking at the teacher. Trelawney sighed, moving on. "D-Did I say something?" Natsu asked himself, pointing to himself.

When class was over, everyone filed out for their next subjects. Natsu sighed, slowly packing his books. As he stood up, his bag accidently knocked the crystal ball off its perch, rolling into a closet. "Oh for Pete's sake…" He muttered to himself, walking towards the closet, picking up the ball. When he picked up the ball, he suddenly felt a trance to stare into the crystal ball. As he stared into it, he saw something move in the ball. He squinted, trying to see in the dark closet. Suddenly, two golden and red eyes glared back at him, roaring and launching his open mouth at Natsu.

Natsu gasped sharply, dropping the ball. He panted, falling back into the corner of the closet. In the process, he knocked the door so hard that the door bounced back, causing the closet to close, leaving him in darkness. "What was that…" He panted, staring at the ball. He picked it up again, looking into it, but got nothing. He placed it down again, wondering what that was. It felt like Igneel's presence, but mixed in with the energy of Zerif and his own magic power. "What the hell does that mean?!" He whispered angrily to himself.

He shook his head, whacking his head of the thoughts. He stood up, grabbing the crystal ball. His hand begin to open the door, when his hearing picked up on something like a grab and a gasp. Raspy breaths followed soon after. His hand stopped, putting his ear on the door.

"Professor Trelawney…?" He heard a voice ask. "Harry…?" Natsu whispered to himself, knowing that voice anywhere.

"He will return tonight…." She gasped, sounding like she was possessed. "S-Sorry…?" Harry asked, sounding confused. "Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder… shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt, and servant and master shall be reunited once more!" She declared, like some made prophet.

Natsu's eyes widened at this 'prophecy'. Servant and master shall be reunited? Heart rots with murder? What the hell was she talking about? There was sudden coughing, then silence for a bit. "Oh! I'm so sorry dear, did you say something?" Natsu blinked, creaking the door open slightly, seeing the teacher look at Harry confused, but Harry looked like his mind was all over the place.

"N-No... Nothing." he replied, slowly backing away. He bumped into a few tables on the way out, Trelawney watching him with a tilted head as he left. Once Harry reached the door of the classroom, he immediately ran for it. The teacher gave a confused look once more, then shook her head as she went to her office to prepare for her next class.

Natsu emerged from his hiding place, the door creaking slightly. He looked around, then down into his hand, the crystal ball in his hand. He softly walked over to the table, keeping an eye out for the crazy teacher. He put the ball on the table, then ran out of the room towards the hideout.

"Guys guys!" Natsu exclaimed, basically jumping through the painting. "Geez, no need to yell…." Gray groaned, sitting up from the table, his hair messy. Clearly he was sleeping before Natsu came in. "Oh hey Natsu! What's up?" Levy smiled, placing her book down. "Where is everyone? I heard something that everyone needs to hear!" He exclaimed. "Woah, you're serious for once for something." Gray joked.

"What was that?!" Natsu yelled. "Natsu not now…." Levy sighed., closing her book "What did you discover?" Levy asked. "Oh right! Where's Master Makarov?" He asked. "I think he's cleaning the bathrooms in the second floor." Levy said. "And Master Mavis?" Natsu followed up. "Here!" A cheerful, childish voice called out, Mavis flying in through the painting. "Master Mavis, I have some information that I think everyone wants to hear…" He said, extremely determined.

"Hm? Really?" Mavis asked, tilting her head. "Okay, give me a sec, I'll gather everyone." She said, zooming away. About ten minutes later, all the members of Fairy Tail were gathered. "We heard your announcement Master Mavis. What's the problem?" Erza asked, taking a seat. "Natsu said he has something to say." Mavis smiled, looking at Natsu. Everyone looked at Natsu, some of them curious, most were just annoyed.

"Well, when I was leaving the Deviation room, I overheard Trelawney say something…. Like she was possessed…." He said, folding his arms. "What do you mean?" Gajeel asked, leaning back on his chair and folding his arms. Natsu took a deep sigh, and looked at everyone, still waiting for an explanation. "Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder… shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt, and servant and master shall be reunited once more." He repeated. Everyone blinked, looking at each other. "Professor Trelawney said that…?" Mira asked, concerned. "Yeah, but I don't know what it means..." Natsu said. Gray hummed, folding his arms.

"Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder shall be set free…. Do you think she's talking about Black?" Gray asked. "Don't think so. He's innocent. That we know. His heart does not rot murder." Mavis debunked. "Alright, what about "Servant and master shall be reunited once more?"" Erza asked. "Hm…. I have a feeling that's linked to Voldemort… Servant and master shall be linked once more…" She muttered, thumb on her chin.

"Alright, at least that's a lead…. But I don't think anything will happen tonight." Mavis said, thinking. "If anything, it will all happen tomorrow. It's a 93.9291% possibility…" She muttered. "Master Mavis, what do you wish for us to do?" Makarov asked. Mavis hummed once more, looking at her guildmates. "Erza and Mira, I want you to go to the tree. Guard it in case someone does in fact try something funny. Wendy, I want you to take the exceeds and patrol the skies."

"Yes Master Mavis." She nodded. "Natsu, stick close to Harry. Gajeel, Gray, Lucy, stand by close to them. I have a feeling we're dealing with something beyond our control…." She said darkly. "Wait, tomorrow's the day Buckbeak…." Lucy gasped. Everyone went silent, Mavis closing her eyes. "Our mission comes first. Stick to the plan, unless something is to happen, then do what Fairy Tail does best. Improvise." Mavis smiled with a bit of cheek. "WITHOUT destroying the school!" Makarov added.

"Yes masters!" Everyone chanted, before exiting to resume their duties. "Master Mavis…" Natsu walked up to Mavis after everyone had left, the first master giving a sweet smile. "What is it Natsu?" She asked sweetly. "I don't know if I can talk to Harry… we got into a fight…" Natsu admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "He wanted to know what I was hiding… but I refused to tell him…" Mavis hummed, looking down. "Master Mavis…. What should I do…." He asked.

"...Do what you think is right." Mavis advised. "Professor Dumbledore said so himself. The students will find out one day…. Maybe he decided that it was up to us to tell them when the time is right… And if it's the wrong time, then Dumbledore will handle it." Mavis said. Natsu took a deep breath, thinking. "I think…. It's best to discuss with everyone before we reveal anything…" Natsu muttered. Mavis laughed, looking at Natsu with kind eyes. "Wow Natsu, never thought I'd see the day you'd mature." She smiled. "Otherwise Erza might beat me up if I tell Harry without her knowledge…" He said, his eyes buzzing and forehead sweating from traumatic memories. Mavis chuckled nervously, sweat dropping. "Anyway, just speak from the heart Natsu." Mavis smiled. "Alright… I'll talk to Harry tonight. Thanks Master Mavis…" Natsu smiled, heading out to his next class.

Harry sat by the fire, thinking about what Trelawney said this morning. What did she mean by all of that? He sighed, leaning back, tired from the cryptic messages. He then remembered that tomorrow was the day Buckbeak was to die…. He sighed once more, looking at the ceiling. Maybe he should visit Hagrid before Buckbeak died.

 _Rattle rattle_

Harry looked down, hearing the rattle from under his chin. He saw a packet of Bertie Botts, then looked up to the person offering it to him. He was a bit surprised, seeing Natsu smile as he offered him one. "Want one?" Natsu asked. Harry sighed out of his nose, and dug in pulling out a red cherry jelly bean and tossed it in his mouth.

Natsu took a seat next to him, pulling out a watermelon flavoured jelly bean. He softly nudged Harry, causing him to look at Natsu. "Hey, check this out." Natsu smiled, tossing the candy into his mouth catching it perfectly. He then spread his arms out like he was a boss as he chewed. Harry couldn't help but giggle, turning back to the fire. Natsu laughed softly too, looking back at the fire.

"Harry, listen… I hope you know that I'm still your friend. I don't want anything to come between us." Natsu said, looking at Harry. Harry looked at him, still unsure. "I know Natsu. I don't want anything to come between us either, but Sirius Black took away something that I'll never ever have…." Harry growled. Natsu looked at Harry, before looking back at the fire. "You have a right to be angry, but there's always two sides to every story, so maybe before you decide, hear his story first." Natsu muttered. "What's to discuss? He killed my parents Natsu." Harry gritted, anger raising in his voice.

"I'm not saying he did. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. At least… find out the other possibilities. He could have been framed, possessed, or someone impersonated him. I mean, I've seen that transforming potion recipe in the library, and with us learning human transfiguration, it's easy for others to impersonate others now days." Natsu explained. Harry stayed silent. He never thought about it that way. "Just… don't do anything rash…" Natsu pleaded, standing up. "Natsu…" Harry stopped Natsu, and stood up to face him. "I-If I do do anything rash…. Promise you'll stop me?" Harry asked. Natsu stared at him, then smiled. "I'll do you one better, I'll be the one to beat up whatever you're being rash against if you're right." Natsu grinned. Harry smirked, both boys high fiving, then hugging each other.

"Anyway, I'm gonna hit the sack! I'll see you guys tomorrow." Natsu smiled, making his way to the room. The boys wished each other goodnight, Harry sitting back down in front of the fire.

As Natsu climbed the stairs to the room, he noticed Erza and Mira making their way to the tree. He watched for a bit, mentaling wishing them luck and headed to his room for a good rest. After all, according to Master Mavis….

Tomorrow was the day it will all happen.


	75. A Name to Remember

**May update**

 **Earlier that day**

"Hermione wait up!"

Hermione turned around, still aggressive from the events that happened in the classroom. She saw Lucy running up to her, bending over and panting slightly when she caught up with her. "Hey, don't let what she said get to you… You're one of the greatest minds I know! I mean, how can you handle so many classes at once? I could never do it…" Lucy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

Hermione went stiff for a bit, before turning back around with a bit of red on her cheek. "W-Well, I have my ways…" She muttered, beginning to walk forward again. "Hey how about this?" Lucy asked, running up to her again. "Since it's our break now, how about we go to Hogsmeade and get some butterbeer?" She asked with a bit of a mischievous glare. "W-Won't we get in trouble?" Hermione asked, a bit skeptical. "Oh yeah, I guess…. Then let's just go to the Main Hall and get some food and butterbeer." Lucy suggested again with a smile. Hermione gave an approval shrug, she and Lucy making their way down to the Main Hall.

"So anyway, how's all your other classes going?" Lucy asked, taking a bite into her sandwich. Hermione stayed silent, looking down at her food, not feeling like she wanted to take a bite. "Hermione?" Lucy asked again. "Huh? O-Oh very well thank you. Professor McGarden makes it easy for us to understand runes." Hermione said with haste, picking up her food and taking a big bite into it. Lucy stared at her with a hum, concerned. She sighed, taking another bite.

The two sat in silence for a bit, chewing away and drinking their butterbeers. Lucy continued to stare at Hermione, her face written with fear and concern. "Hermione…. Is something bothering you? You can always talk to me about it…" Lucy soothed, taking Hermione's hand and rubbing the back of it with her thumb. Hermione stared at Lucy's hand, before looking at Lucy's smiling face.

"You'll be honest with me?" Hermione asked. Lucy froze a little, wondering why Hermione phrased it that way. She thought of her answer, before answering her with that same smile. "As long as you're honest with me." She said with a laugh. Hermione smirked a but before pulling her hand away. "It's just that…. People always think I'm talentless or I can't do magic as well as they can. From people like Malfoy I can expect, but from a teacher…" Hermione confessed with a sigh and biting into her sandwich.

Lucy closed her eyes with a light sigh. "I know the feeling…" She muttered, taking a bite. Hermione looked at her confused. "I always had a certain expectation too, as if trying to force me into a certain mindset. But I refused to take that attitude and those expectations." Lucy explained, taking a sip of her drink. "What did you do?" Hermione asked. Lucy looked at her in the eye, putting down her drink. "I left and made something of myself." She said, taking another bite.

Hermione was a little shocked at her answer, recalling that Lucy is an heiress. Does that mean…. "You left your position…?" Hermione asked. Lucy stopped chewing, placing her food on her plate. "It's…. Complicated…. Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't give up your position here, but there is something you can do." She said. "And what is that?" Hermione asked. Lucy smirked, leaning forward slowly.

"Make a name for yourself. Tell everyone here why you deserve to be here. Prove to all of them that you aren't just another wizard, but someone who everyone will remember." She said with a sly smile. Hermine blinked, sitting back, "Make a name for myself…." She muttered back. "In fact, you already have in a way. You've shown Harry, Ron, and even my friends and I that you are the bravest and the smartest of all of us. If you can even impress the Boy-Who-Lived, you'll be fine." Lucy smiled.

Hermione smiled back, feeling so much better after her snack and drink, and especially after her talk with Lucy. Hermione looked at Lucy, thinking a bit. "Hey Lucy, since I've got you here, and you said you'd be honest with me, I want to know…" Lucy looked at her, extremely worried as Hermione stared at her with a hard eye.

"Why do you wear gloves?" She asked, pointing at Lucy's hands. "O-Oh I…. It's a skin condition, they dry so easily." Lucy said with a lying smile. Hermione looked at Lucy's hands, not fully convinced. "Then why don't you use moisturizer or magic to heal them?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I-I haven't found the right moisturizer, and I kinda don't want to use magic on myself she stuttered, rubbing her wrists and lower hands.

"Lucy…." Lucy looked up, trying to look at her as naturally as possible. "Are you…. Hiding something from us?" She asked in complete seriousness. Lucy stayed silent, looking down. "Lucy?" Hermione asked. "I…. I have to go. Remember to make a name for yourself!" She repeated, running out of the dining hall, a few eyes following her.

Hermione instantly stood up, following her into the hallway. "Lucy!" Hermione called out, grabbing her right wrist. Lucy stopped, Hermione holding up Lucy's wrist. "Hermione, I-" She began, then stopped, unable to think of a way out. "You know something don't you?" She asked. Lucy shook her head, sliding her thin wrist out of Hermione's hand, her glove slipping off. Hermione's eyes shifted to the back of her hand.

Hermione gasped slightly, her mind racing with confusion. There was nothing on the back of her hand. Did she get the wrong person? But then why did she try to get out of there? Lucy looked at Hermione, before grabbing her glove out of Hermione's hand. "I'm sorry Hermione…. I have to go…" And with that, she ran down the hall, leaving Hermione in a confused state.

"That was close!" Lucy gasped when she stopped running. She looked at the back of her hand, her Fairy Tail emblem faintly coming back. She sighed, sliding the glove back on. "Thank goodness Virgo modified my gloves to hide my emblem in case someone tried to take my glove off…." She flexed her fingers, her joints adjusting to the fabric.

She stared at her hand, feeling so guilty. She didn't want to lie to them, but she had to for the sake of the mission. But still…. She wanted to tell them the truth. But it just wasn't time yet…. She looked the clock ticking on the wall, the second hand ticking away, waiting for no one. She gave a silent sigh, looking at her hand. She grasped it tight, before promising herself she wouldn't repeat last year.

"You seem troubled princess."

Lucy slightly jumped at the voice and looked to her left. There she saw Virgo and Leo, both of them looking at her, extremely worried. "O-Oh i-it's nothing…" She mumbled, looking down. "I just… I've known Hermione, Ron, and Harry for three years now, and it feels just so… wrong to keep this from them." She admitted. "Well, I mean, orders are orders. But then again, Fairy Tail isn't exactly knowing for following rules." Loke snickered.

"What do you think I should do?" Lucy asked. "If you ask me, I wouldn't tell them, and if they find out, they find out. Unless you disagree, then I will throw away my opinion, agree with you, then bring punishment on myself." Virgo said in a straight face.

Lucy chuckled nervously and sweatdropped.

"Lucy what's up?" Lucy looked the other way, Gray walking up to her with a smile. "Hey Loke, what's up?" He smiled, Loke smiling back as they both did their secret handshake. "Nothing much man, how are you?" Loke beamed, putting his hands back in his pockets.

The two smiled and talked with each other, leaving Virgo alone with Lucy. "Oh princess, did the gloves work?" She asked with a tilt of the head. "Oh yes! Definitely. Thanks for modifying them." Lucy smiled. "It's no problem princess. Is this worthy of punishment?" She asked, tilting her head. "Virgo…" Lucy groaned.

"Oh by the way Lucy, Hermione was looking for you, do you know why?" Gray asked. "Oh… she was beginning to question a few things and she pulled off my gloves…" Lucy muttered, toying with her fingers. Gray's eyes widened a bit, before taking a serious face. "Did she see?" He asked. Lucy shook her head and smiled at Virgo. "Virgo modified them so my symbol won't appear for at least a few minutes. So she didn't see." Lucy said with a smile.

"Ah I see. By the way, should you two be here? Somebody could see you you know…" Gray muttered. "Ah it's fine. I don't sense anyone coming our way, so we're good." Loke beamed. "Alright if you say so…" Gray yawned. "Well anyway, I'm gonna go continue some investigations with Levy in the meeting room." Gray sighed, rubbing his head as he began to walk away. "I'll talk to you guys later." Gray smiled, giving a wave.

"Talk to you later dude." Loke smiled, waving at Gray. "We better go too. I sense someone coming this way." Loke smiled. "Yes, I agree. Please call us if you need our help." Virgo bowed, both of them disappearing in golden light. "Take care." Lucy smiled, waving them off.

Lucy smile went away, putting her hand down. She gave a sigh, and looked at her timetable. Guess that was the last class for the day. She decided to go to her common room to rest. "Oh Lucy!" Lucy stopped by one of the paintings, Mavis sharing room with another painting, but luckily the subject had left for a stroll through the other paintings. "Oh Mavis! What's up?" She asked with a smile. "Can we talk for a minute? Upstairs? Natsu said he found something." She smiled. Lucy blinked, a bit surprise. "Yeah sure…" She said, a bit quiet.

She stood in front of the painting and gave a sigh. She stepped through the painting, having the feeling that this meeting would be the discussion about the day that they will strike.


	76. Notification

**Hey guys**

 **Due to Christmas plans, I will not be uploading a chapter this week. I know, I was looking forward to posting this week's chapter as well.**

 **However! For those of you who don't know, I have uploaded a Hetalia fanfiction on my page titled** **Underbelly War** **! If you love crime, action, mafia stories (And want to see Italy kick butt), you'll certainly love this one! You don't even need to see the show or read the manga to understand the story, and even if you don't there's always the wiki page hahaha. So feel free to give it a check, even if you've never heard of Hetalia or don't know what it's about!**

 **Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays guys! And if I don't post before New Year, Happy New Year!**

 **Starway1123**


	77. Beginning of the Song

Bells tolled as the crows cawed. A man in a black hood sharpening his axe, ready for a kill. The Scottish winter certainly did not help to change the mood of this day. It was almost as if… it too knew what today was.

Gajeel looked away from the scene of Buckbeak chained to a tree stump. He sat on the ground, back against the rock they were hiding behind, his room mates snickering at the scene. They were lightly pushing over each other, trying to get the best view. "Redfox get over here! Don't you want to see this?" Draco smiled, trying to call his 'friend' over. "I think I'm good, thanks." Gajeel refused, a bit hostile in his voice. "Suit yourself then." Draco shrugged, turning back to the scene.

Gajeel sighed, shifting a knee up. His ears twitched a bit, hearing three familiar voices come close. "I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak. It's just too horrible…." Gajeel softly smirked to himself, thinking this confrontation was going to be fun. Ron, Hermione, and Harry appeared from one of the door just meters away from where he sat, their eyes widened. "It just got worse…" Ron muttered.

"Guess what, father said I can keep the hippogriff head. Maybe I'll donate it to the Gryffindors' room. As a peace treaty." Draco joked as the others laughed. The three Gryffindors were outraged when they heard that last remark. Hermione stormed over, the Slytherins watching turning around as they heard her loud footsteps. "Look who's here! Come to see the show?" Draco scoffed as he extended his arms, taking a stage like bow, Gajeel not moving his position as he wanted to spectate this.

"You! You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!" Hermione growled, pulling out her wand and pressed the tip at his throat. Gajeel raised an eyebrow, wondering how Draco was going to get out of this. Draco stumbled back, his back pressing against the stone. His face quivered, even Draco's goons backing up. Gajeel scoffed, seeing about ten ways he could get out of this, but Draco was there shaking in his boots, and his goons useless.

"Hermione don't! It's not worth it!" Ron pleaded. Hermione kept looking at Draco with a cold, steely gaze. Gajeel's eyes dodged between the two, wondering what the next move was going to be. Hermione tensed, and took her wand away from his throat as she turned away. Draco began to laugh, his goons joining in. They began to fool on laugh, pointing at her for her cowardice. Hermione finally snapped, turning around so fast to rival a spinning top and used all her might and force to punch that snobbish kid right in the cheek.

The Slytherins gasped as they jumped back, caught between the thoughts of catching Draco, staying back, or maybe pushing Hermione back. Even Gajeel was surprised. He did not think that Hermione was going to go down that path. Draco held his cheek, looking at Hermione and for a split second, Draco saw Professor Erza's wrath emitting from her. He sprinted back to the castle as fast as his legs could carry him, his henchmen running after him telling him to wait for them. "N-Not a word of this understand?!" Draco hissed as they ran off.

Hermione watched them scramble away like a bunch of pansies, only Gajeel staying behind. She gave little pants as she looked at her two friends, wanting to smile but was in too much shock of what she did too.

"That felt good…" She admitted with a slight laugh. "Not good… Brilliant..." Ron laughed, Hermione chuckling. "Geehee! Couldn't agree more!" Gajeel snickered. The standing three snapped their heads to the snickering delinquent. "Not going with them?" Ron asked, Gajeel shaking his head. "Nah. I can only take so much of that whiny brat…" Gajeel sighed, turning his head to Hagrid's hut. "If you think that of Malfoy, why do you hang around him?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

Gajeel gave Harry a sharp look, sending him slight shivers down his spine. Did he stumble upon something he shouldn't have? "I have my reasons…" He said with a slight sneer. Ron gulped, standing back a bit. Gajeel sighed as he stood up, patting his jeans down to briskly clean it of sand, soil, and grass. "Anyway, got things to do, places to be. I'll see you guys later in class or maybe later on the weekend. Ciao." Gajeel waved goodbye as he walked away, not bothering to turn around. He shoved his hands in his pockets and breathed out steam, a failed and lazy attempt to convey that he was cold.

The three looked at each other, before Hermione shook her head. "Don't worry about it…. We've got other things that need our attention right now…" She sighed, looking down at the hut. "R-Right…" Harry muttered, leading the way. As the trio made their way down, Harry sighed, looking at his ginger friends behind him. "After this is all over, I think we should have a serious discussion about them…" He said, letting those words finally slip.

Everyone stopped on the stairs, looking at each other. "Yes, I agree… I've actually been meaning to talk about them and Professor Scarlett... " Hermione admitted, folding her arms. "We always say that we gotta talk about them." Ron chipped in. Harry nodded, sighing as he looked down and down to the hut. "Hey, you don't think they're spies or something do you? Or maybe they're the White Shadows?" Ron asked, half joking and half serious.

Everyone stopped again, looking at Ron. He stepped back, as if he did something wrong. "S-Sorry, it was a joke but I think it's true as well…." Ron muttered, trailing off. "No no, it's fine… I just think… it could be true…." Harry said, confirming that he didn't think him crazy. "Woah woah woah guys! That's a bit of an extreme statement! I'm not saying it's not possible, but still, I doubt they're affiliated with someone like… you know…" Hermione said in defence of them, whispering the last part. "No, but their families or someone they know might, or maybe they're being blackmailed or under a spell…" Harry suggested. "And the White Shadows, they can't be. They're adults, taller than them…" Hermione debunked.

Ron groaned in defeat, Harry rubbing the back of his head. A soft squawk from the Hippogriff brought everyone back to why they were here in the first place. Hermione grumbled something under her breath as she checked her watch.

7:05 am

"Come on, we better get down there." She said with a sigh, pushing herself to the front as the boys followed behind.

* * *

Weekends always meant the school was mostly empty. Most kids would take the Hogwarts Express to one of the closest villages or towns to shop, eat, drink, or socialise with friends or even strangers. Those who didn't would lock themselves away in the library or their rooms, others who weren't that antisocial would roam the courtyards, or eat and talk into the Grand Hall. Even the occasional student would roam the hallway.

Gajeel made his way to the Gryffindor Common Room, looking around to make sure no one was following him, or there was no one around. He sighed, reaching up to Fat Lady who was cleaning a champagne glass. "Hey Lady, is Salamander inside?" Gajeel asked with a slight movement of the head to gesture inside the Common Room. "Well, he hasn't come out today, so I believe so." She replied, huffing on the glass and giving it a squeaky scrub. Gajeel cringed a bit and looked away as the high squeak, subtly putting a finger in his ear and clearing his throat.

"Well I uh… need to get in so…" He said, still looking away. The Fat Lady stopped cleaning her champagne glass, looking at him. "I'll let you in, if you hear my latest aria." She said, going back to her glass. Gajeel instantly froze, not knowing what to say. He had to wake up Salamander, but not at the risk of his ears.

Suddenly he heard giggling and looked in that direction. Walking to his location was Mira, Wendy, and Levy, discussing their life since arriving, their lessons, students and their co-workers. Gajeel finally had an idea, looking back to the Fat Lady. "How about four judges instead of one?" He said with a smirk. The Fat Lady tilted her head up, interested by that proposition.

The three giggled, walking up to Gajeel. "Hey Gajeel, what's up?" Levy asked with a smile. "Well the Fat Lady has a new aria she wants us to hear." Gajeel said with a smirk. "Really? I'd love to hear it!" Mira smiled. "Me too! I would really love to hear it!" Wendy said with a sweet smile. "Same here!" Mira agreed. Gajeel smiled, stepping slightly behind the girls. "The floor's yours." He smiled, stepping fully behind the girls, then breaking into a full run fleeing down multiple stairs and covered his ears.

An ear piercing screech filled the halls, trying to resemble some kind of song. Everyone in the vicinity jumped at the screaming and ran away as far away as possible from the dying cattle sounds. Wendy, Mira, and Levy were almost pushed back from the sound, their hair flying back from the soundwaves.

A painful four minutes and twenty five seconds later, the war screech had stopped leaving everyone, especially the three who had volunteered to listen, to have ringing ears. Wendy even fainting with swirling in her eyes. "Oh my! It must have been to heavy for her…" The Fat Lady gasped. "W-Well that was certainly… something…." Levy stuttered with a forced smile. "I-Indeed…" Mira said in forced agreement. "Ehguhaha…" Wendy slurred.

Gajeel sneaked his way back up the stairs and peaked out behind Mira. "That was great Fat Lady. Can I go in now?" Gajeel asked. "O-Oh yes of course!" She stuttered and opened the door. "Great, thanks!" Gajeel smirked, entering the Common Room. "Hold on Gajeel, did you make us listen while you ran away?!" Levy yelled, Gajeel shrugging as the door closed. "Gajeel get back here right-" Levy got cut off from her rant, a hollow echoing sound filling the room accompanied by crackles of fighting.

He gruffed, heading up the stairs. He scanned the doors and sniffed the air for Natsu's scent. He finally found the room with Natsu's scent mixed with his roommates scents. But judging from how old the scent was, all of them except Natsu were out. He kicked the door open, finding a snoring Natsu and Happy fast asleep with snot bubbles emitting from their noses.

He walked up to the sleeping duo, getting ticked off with every second. He lifted his foot off the ground and kicked him as hard as he could out of the bed. "WAKE UP!" He roared, Natsu rolling off the bed and into the wall. "What the hell was that for?!" Natsu growled, holding his nose. "For not getting your lazy ass out of bed while Hermione, Harry, and Ron are down by Hagrid's house right now! You gotta go now if we want the plan to work!" Gajeel yelled back, clashing his head with Natsu's. "Wait what?!" Natsu gasped, grabbing his clothes Happy and scrambled out the door.

"Geez that guy…" Gajeel sighed, facepalming and exiting the bedroom to get out of the dorm. " _Just as long as the plan goes well then it's fine…"_ He thought to himself. When he exited the room, two passive aggressive smiles greeted him with a still unconscious Wendy.

He paled, stepping back into the Common Room and slowly closed the door. "Oh no you don't…" Levy hissed, stepping her foot in the door. "Why don't we have a little chat….?"


End file.
